Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF) said they had shot down what they described as a “hostile drone” near the city of Damazin in Blue Nile State, bordering Ethiopia, after it allegedly entered Sudanese airspace “from the direction of Ethiopia,” in the latest sign of tensions along the Ethiopia-Sudan frontier amid Sudan’s ongoing civil war.
In a brief video statement issued on Saturday, the SAF said: “The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) shot down a hostile drone near Damazin after it entered Sudanese airspace from the direction of Ethiopia, 23 May 2026.”
The military did not provide further details regarding the drone’s origin, possible casualties, or the party allegedly responsible for operating it.
As of the time of publication, Ethiopian authorities had not publicly responded to the claim.
The latest incident comes amid escalating accusations by Sudanese officials that drones used in attacks inside Sudan originated from Ethiopian territory, allegations repeatedly denied by Addis Ababa.
Separately, on May 25, the United States (US) “strongly condemned reported SAF drone strikes” that allegedly killed at least 28 people and wounded dozens more at a market in Ghubaysh, West Kordofan province, while also destroying a humanitarian facility in Kauda, South Kordofan.
In a statement, the US said: “The violence must end; the belligerents must accept a humanitarian truce which will allow the injured to heal in peace and enable unhindered humanitarian assistance to those in desperate need.”
The growing use of drones in Sudan’s conflict has raised increasing international concern. On May 11, the United Nations warned that drone warfare was pushing the conflict into a “deadlier phase.”
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said drone strikes accounted for more than 80 per cent of all conflict-related civilian deaths between January and April 2026, killing at least 880 civilians.
According to the UN, both the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are increasingly relying on drones, expanding the conflict into new regions, including Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Khartoum. Türk warned that drone warfare could allow fighting to intensify during the rainy season, which historically slowed military offensives.
Earlier in May, Sudanese officials accused Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of involvement in drone strikes targeting Khartoum airport and other strategic sites.
During a joint press conference on May 4, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem and military spokesperson Asim Awad Abd al-Wahab claimed Khartoum possessed “conclusive evidence” that drones used in the attacks originated from Ethiopia’s Amhara region.
Ethiopia dismissed the allegations as “baseless” and warned against what it described as inflammatory rhetoric amid Sudan’s internal conflict. In a statement previously reported by Addis Standard, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed the “historic and enduring bond of friendship” between the two countries while accusing “some belligerents in the Sudanese civil war” of violating Ethiopia’s territorial integrity.
However, following its accusations, Sudan’s military reportedly reinforced troop deployments and anti-aircraft defences along border areas with Ethiopia, including Blue Nile State bordering Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region and the disputed al-Fashaga area in Gedaref State bordering Ethiopia’s Amhara region.
“There is new activity in the area,” SAF Major-General Zafir Omer told Bloomberg following a visit by Sudan’s army chief of staff to Blue Nile State, where military officials reportedly pledged to strengthen security deployments.
Military sources cited by Sudan Tribune also said Sudanese forces had reinforced positions in East Gallabat, Basunda, and the Greater and Lesser al-Fashaga areas as part of heightened security measures along the frontier.
The latest incident near Damazin follows reports of cross-border drone attacks affecting civilians inside Ethiopia. On April 29, at least eight civilians were killed in a drone strike in Kumruk town in Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region near the Sudan border.
Witnesses who spoke to Addis Standard alleged that the drone originated from Sudan’s Blue Nile State and accused the SAF of carrying out the strike amid ongoing fighting with the RSF.
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