Explosions rang out in close proximity to the Sudanese capital Khartoum, which is under army control, as reported by witnesses to AFP. This incident occurred a day after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces announced their commitment to a humanitarian ceasefire. The RSF recently took over El-Fasher, the army’s final significant stronghold in western Darfur, signaling a shift in their operations towards the east, targeting Khartoum and the oil-rich Kordofan region.
Despite Khartoum experiencing a period of tranquility following the regular army’s reestablishment of authority this year, the RSF, engaged in conflict with the army since April 2023, has persisted in launching assaults on various regions, including both military and civilian installations.
A resident in Omdurman, part of the greater Khartoum area, disclosed to AFP under anonymity for security reasons that they were startled awake around 2 am (0000 GMT) by explosions near the Wadi Sayidna military base. Another resident reported hearing a drone flying overhead at around 4 am followed by an explosion near a power station, resulting in a power outage in the vicinity.
In Atbara, a city under army control located approximately 300 kilometers (186 miles) north of Khartoum, a resident recounted how several drones appeared over the city just after 3 am that day. The resident stated that the anti-aircraft defenses intercepted the drones, but fires erupted in the eastern part of the city, accompanied by the sounds of explosions.
One more Atbara resident informed AFP that they witnessed ten drones flying over the city, with the anti-aircraft defenses actively targeting and downing them, yet fires broke out in the eastern sector simultaneously.
At present, there have been no reports of casualties, and both the army and the RSF have refrained from issuing statements regarding the attacks. Concurrently, the Sudan Doctors’ Union conveyed that the RSF bombarded a hospital in the besieged city of Dilling in South Kordofan on Thursday morning, resulting in multiple injuries, some of which are severe. The attack caused severe damage to the hospital’s radiology and medical imaging department, significantly impacting one of the crucial healthcare facilities in the region. Dilling has been under RSF siege since June 2023.