PORT SUDAN: Explosions were heard in Port Sudan after a drone strike by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted multiple locations, including the city's airport and seaport. Billows of dark smoke were reported rising in the city.

According to Anadolu Agency, witnesses indicated that fires erupted at a fuel depot situated at Port Sudan International Airport and near the city's southern port. Although the cause of the explosions remains unclear, the Sudanese Ministry of Energy announced that fires broke out at strategic oil depots following an RSF drone strike. There is no available information on casualties at this time.

The attack led to delays and rescheduling of several flights at Port Sudan airport, as confirmed by a source within the airport. This incident marks the third attack by the RSF on Port Sudan in the past 48 hours, according to local sources. Consequently, the Sudanese Civil Aviation has suspended flights to and from the airport until 05:00 pm (1500 GMT).

The RSF has not yet commented on the incident. Port Sudan has become the temporary administrative capital and a key location for the Sudanese government amidst ongoing clashes with the RSF since April 2023. Recent drone strikes have increasingly targeted power stations in northern cities, with the Sudanese government attributing these attacks to the RSF.

Since the conflict began in April 2023, the RSF has been in a prolonged battle with the Sudanese army, resulting in thousands of deaths and contributing to a significant humanitarian crisis. Reports indicate over 20,000 fatalities and 15 million displacements, though US scholars estimate the death toll to be around 130,000.