Sudan’s RSF strikes Khartoum with drones, triggers power outage
In May, drones struck three major electricity stations in Omdurman, sparking a severe blackout that affected one of the state's most populated areas.
Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched drone strikes on at least three locations across the capital Khartoum on Tuesday, triggering a major power outage in Omdurman, local media have reported.
According to The Sudan Tribune, explosions were heard in the northern Omdurman area during the morning, with residents saying suicide drones hit the Wadi Seidna military base and the Al-Markhiyat electricity substation, leaving large parts of the city without power.
Video shared on social media showed transformers at the Al-Markhiyat substation on fire.
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The attacks also struck Al-Kalakla, near the Yarmouk military factory and the Al-Jaili area, about 40km north of Khartoum Bahri, which houses Sudan's main oil refinery. The RSF had controlled the Al-Jaili refinery from the outbreak of the civil war in April 2023 until government forces regained the facility in January.
The Sudanese government has yet to release an official statement on the attacks, with casualty reports currently unavailable.
The drone strikes come as Sudanese authorities work to restore normalcy in Khartoum, where officials have announced plans to reopen Khartoum International Airport in October. Security forces are expected to deploy anti-aircraft defences around strategic sites in the coming days to prevent further attacks.
This is not the first time the RSF has targeted Khartoum's power infrastructure. In May, drones struck three major electricity stations in Omdurman, sparking a severe blackout that affected one of the state's most populated areas.
Since losing control of the capital Khartoum in March, the RSF has intensified its offensive in western Sudan, targeting camps and critical infrastructure in an effort to consolidate power.
Since its outbreak, the war has killed tens of thousands, displaced over 12 million people, and sparked what the International Rescue Committee (IRC) calls the largest humanitarian crisis on record.
"Before the war erupted, Sudan was already experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis that left 15.8 million people in need of humanitarian aid," IRC said in a recent statement.
"Two years of war have gravely exacerbated these conditions, displacing over 12 million people and leaving 30.4 million people - more than half of Sudan's population - in need of humanitarian support."
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