Sudan: Sudanese army air defenses intercepted drones launched by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in attacks targeting five cities across the country Wednesday, military sources and witnesses said.

According to Anadolu Agency, military sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that the RSF launched drone attacks on Omdurman and Bahri in the capital Khartoum, as well as Atbara and Al-Damar in River Nile State and El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State. Witnesses observed swarms of drones flying over Omdurman and Bahri before being engaged by army air defenses, with explosions reportedly heard in multiple areas.

In River Nile and North Kordofan states, witnesses informed Anadolu that anti-aircraft fire was heard across Atbara and Al-Damar, while the army successfully shot down a drone over El-Obeid. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show drones over Omdurman, Bahri, and Atbara, with some crashing into residential areas, though Anadolu could not independently verify the footage. There was no immediate information available on casualties or damage, and neither Sudanese authorities nor the RSF had commented on the attacks as of 7.50 am GMT.

Sudan News reported that the drone launches coincided with setbacks suffered by the RSF on multiple fronts in the Kordofan region, where army forces have recently increased military operations. The outlet suggested that the attacks may have been aimed at boosting the morale of RSF fighters following battlefield losses, although this claim could not be independently verified.

The reported drone attacks occurred as the Sudanese army expanded operations in the Kordofan region, claiming to have captured several towns and strategic positions from the RSF in recent weeks after consolidating control over Khartoum earlier this year. The RSF has increasingly relied on long-range drones to strike military sites and critical infrastructure in army-held territory, with recent attacks targeting Port Sudan, Atbara, Dongola, and other cities far from the main front lines.

Sudan has been embroiled in conflict since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and the RSF over plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the regular military. The ongoing war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, displaced millions, and triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.