New drone strike reported on Port Sudan amid fighting between military rivals

KHARTOUM, Sudan / ANKARA

Witnesses reported a new drone strike in the eastern Sudanese city of Port Sudan on Wednesday, amid raging fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Sounds of explosions were heard near the Flamingo naval base in the city, witnesses said, adding that Sudanese air defenses thwarted the attack.

No information was yet available about casualties or damage.

There was no immediate comment from the army or RSF on the report.

Fires broke out in Port Sudan on Tuesday after a drone strike on several sites in the city, including oil depots, which the Sudanese army blamed on the RSF.

The Red Sea city has become the temporary administrative capital and a de facto seat of the Sudanese government following the outbreak of clashes with the RSF since April 2023.

Sudanese officials have repeatedly accused the rebel group of launching drone attacks on civilian infrastructure, including power stations and other facilities, in northern cities such as Merowe, Dongola, Dabba, and Atbara.

Since April 2023, the RSF has been battling the army for control of Sudan, resulting in thousands of deaths and creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

More than 20,000 people have been killed and 15 million displaced, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US scholars, however, puts the death toll at around 130,000.