Rapid Support Forces Launch Deadly Drone Attack in Sudan, Leaving 27 Dead
Deadly Attack in Sudan
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have killed 27 individuals in a drone strike on a Sudanese military base in the city of Sinja, according to a military source quoted by Al Jazeera. The attack on Monday coincided with the announcement made a day earlier that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) would return to the capital, Khartoum, after three years of relocating their operational base to Port Sudan.
The conflict between SAF and RSF has been ongoing since April 2023, with Khartoum serving as a central battleground. Military sources indicated that the drone strike not only targeted government leaders but also security teams and accompanying civilians. While reports vary, Al Jazeera stated that at least 13 people were injured, whereas other estimates, including those from AFP, suggest as many as 73 injured.
The governor of the White Nile state, Qamar al-Din Fadl al-Mawla, was in Sinja during the attack and survived; however, two of his colleagues were reported to have been killed. Sinja, the capital of Sennar state, is located on a key route to Khartoum, approximately 300 km to the north. The city also houses the headquarters of SAF's 17th Infantry Division, which appeared to be the target of the Monday attack.
RSF advisor Al-Basha Tibiq stated on social media that the aerial strike was intended as a warning for Sudanese military leaders. Conversely, the spokesperson for Sennar state's government, Salah Adam Abdullah, claimed the attack was directed against RSF's enemies, asserting that “the army's anti-air defenses managed the situation.” He also noted that the bombings resulted in losses and injuries among civilians, but that life has now returned to normal in the city.
Strategically positioned as a route to the government-controlled east, Sinja has largely avoided the worst confrontations since the Sudanese army regained control in 2024. The last drone strike in Sennar state occurred in October. The civil war has now entered its third year, with SAF renewing efforts to reclaim regions in Kordofan and Darfur from RSF. On Friday, SAF announced significant losses inflicted on RSF following both aerial and ground operations, eliminating fighters from certain areas and killing hundreds.
On Sunday, Sudan's Prime Minister, Kamil Idris, announced the government’s return to Khartoum after the army reclaimed the city in May. The government has pursued a gradual return in the months that followed. At the war's onset, RSF had taken control of the capital, forcing the government allied with the army to flee. Port Sudan has since served as the war-time capital of the government. Intense fighting and global funding cuts have pushed over 21 million people in Sudan—nearly 45% of the population—toward starvation, in what has become one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, according to the United Nations.
Friday marked the 1,000th day of the war. The conflicts have forced approximately 13.6 million people to leave their homes, creating the largest displacement crisis in the world, as reported by the UN.
