AviationNews – Khartoum International Airport in Sudan was struck by a drone attack early Tuesday morning, causing multiple explosions just one day before its planned reopening. The attack shatters a fragile calm in the capital and jeopardizes the first domestic flights from the airport since the nation’s devastating civil war began in April 2023.
The airport, which has been shut for over two years, was a key symbol of the government’s efforts to restore normalcy after the Sudanese army recaptured the capital from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) earlier this year. Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority had just announced on Monday that the airport was operationally ready and would resume domestic flights on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing the sound of drones over central and southern Khartoum between 4:00 and 6:00 a.m. local time, followed by several loud explosions in the airport’s vicinity. While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, the RSF has been repeatedly accused of using drones to target military and civilian infrastructure. A military source reported that five “suicide drones” targeted the airport, but that anti-aircraft systems intercepted them, causing “limited losses” and minor injuries to several workers.
“We heard the sounds of about 11 drones, followed by successive explosions,” said an eyewitness from the East Nile area, highlighting the scale of the attack. This marks the third drone assault on the capital in the last week, indicating a persistent and disruptive military capability.
The attack casts serious doubt on the planned reopening, which was a significant logistical and symbolic milestone. The Civil Aviation Authority has not yet issued a new statement on whether the reopening will proceed as scheduled.
This incident underscores the ongoing instability in Sudan, even as the government attempts to rebuild. The attack on a major civilian infrastructure site like the airport is a severe blow to both national morale and the effort to resume normal economic activity in the war-torn capital.
