Army source: Drone strikes hit Port Sudan for sixth straight day, targeting airport, fuel depot, and power station

PORT SUDAN, May 10 — Drone strikes hit Port Sudan for the sixth consecutive day yesterday, with the Sudanese army blaming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who have been engaged in conflict with the regular army since April 2023.

An army source, speaking anonymously, said air defences intercepted several drones targeting key locations in the city.

Witnesses reported explosions across Port Sudan, which has served as the seat of the army-aligned government and the country’s main humanitarian aid hub. Once considered a safe zone, the city has come under repeated drone attacks since Sunday.

The long-range strikes have inflicted damage on vital infrastructure, including Sudan’s only international airport, its main fuel depot, and the central power station.

Later on Friday, a drone strike also hit a power facility in Atbara, the capital of River Nile state, igniting a fire and causing widespread power outages across the state and the neighbouring Red Sea state, where Port Sudan is located.

Port Sudan remains a critical entry point for aid into the war-torn nation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, through his spokesperson, warned that the attacks risk escalating humanitarian needs and further obstructing relief efforts.

More than two years of fighting have left tens of thousands dead and displaced over 13 million people, in what the United Nations describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. — AFP