SHENDI, Sudan — A drone launched by Sudan ‘s paramilitary forces targeted the airport in the capital of Khartoum on Monday but was shot down before it could hit the target, airport officials said. It was the latest attack in the deadly war in Sudan, now in its fourth year, which has pushed the country to the brink.
The attack came just days after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces killed at least five people in a drone attack that hit a civilian vehicle on the outskirts of Khartoum on Saturday.
The airport officials said the drone launched on Monday was shot down by Sudan’s air defenses as it approached the airport from the south and caused no damage or casualties. The military government confirmed the drone was intercepted.
A military official told The Associated Press the drone was launched from a neighboring country but provided no further details. All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
At Khartoum International Airport, flights stopped briefly but authorities said they would resume after routine checks. The airport’s gradual reopening last year marked a key step in efforts to restore normal life in Khartoum, which was the epicenter of the war that broke out between the army and the RSF in April 2023.
In February, a commercial flight landed in the airport for the second time since the war began.
Khartoum has largely been spared attacks by the RSF since it was recaptured by the army last year, but it has recently seen sporadic strikes.
Since the war started, at least 59,000 people have been killed, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, an independent conflict-monitoring body. Aid groups, however, say the true toll could be much higher, as access to areas of fighting across the vast country remains limited.
The war has also displaced 12 million people, according to the United Nations, and pushed parts of Sudan into famine.
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Associated Press writer Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed to this report.
