Sudanese army thwarts drone attack on military base in Shendi
April 23, 2024 (SHENDI) – Sudanese anti-aircraft guns in Shendi, northern Sudan, thwarted a drone attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Tuesday. Two of the attacking drones were intercepted and shot down.
This attack comes amid ongoing tensions between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group. A joint force comprising the Sudanese army and Darfur armed movement units had recently departed Shendi to confront RSF fighters at the Khartoum refinery in Al-Jaili. Encircling the RSF forces, which had seized control of the oil facility at the onset of the conflict, the coalition aimed to reclaim the area.
Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Chairman of the Sovereign Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, had just left Shendi when the assault occurred.
Military sources told Sudan Tribune that the four drones attempted to target the command centre of the 3rd Infantry Division in Shendi. However, the army’s ground-based anti-aircraft defences effectively neutralized three of the drones, while the fourth altered its trajectory.
Witnesses reported that the drones aimed at various strategic locations, including a military airport adjacent to an ammunition depot and other sites near the southwestern entrance of the army command in Shendi. The resounding blasts of the anti-aircraft missiles caused panic among civilians, prompting the closure of the main market until calm was restored in the city.
In an official statement, the 3rd Infantry Division confirmed that its Control and Monitoring Room detected a drone approaching from the south. Ground anti-aircraft weaponry intercepted the drone upon its entry into the division’s jurisdiction, destroying its payload in mid-air. The debris fell within the division’s airport area without causing any casualties or damage to infrastructure.
The statement further detailed that another drone was sighted an hour later and promptly neutralized, emphasizing the division’s readiness and rapid response to hostile threats.
A joint force comprising the Sudanese army and Darfur armed groups had recently departed Shendi to confront RSF fighters at the Khartoum refinery in Al-Jaili. The assailants encircled the RSF forces, which had seized control of the oil facility at the onset of the conflict.
This drone assault marks the second incident of its kind within a month, targeting the Nile River State. On April 2, a drone struck a Ramadan iftar gathering hosted by the Islamist-affiliated Al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade, resulting in the loss of at least 18 lives.
Previously, members of the Rapid Support Forces had threatened to target the army position in Shendi and Port Sudan.
(ST)