RSF drone attack destroys fuel depot at Dongola airport in Northern Sudan
April 7, 2025 (DONGOLA, Sudan) – A drone strike destroyed a fuel depot at Dongola airport in Sudan’s Northern State on Monday, the state government said, blaming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the attack.
The strike comes amid intensified targeting of civilian and military facilities in the Northern State by the RSF. On Sunday, a drone strike on the town of Al-Dabbah killed four people. Bombings also hit the army’s 19th Infantry Division headquarters and the Merowe Dam, causing widespread power outages in several states.
The Northern State government said in a statement received by Sudan Tribune that the fuel depot at Dongola International Airport “was attacked by a drone by the Rapid Support Forces, without any loss of life.”
The statement quoted Governor Abdeen Awadallah, speaking after visiting the airport, condemning the attack as “treacherous and cowardly.” He accused the group he referred to as “the militia” of targeting civilian facilities and services.
Military sources told Sudan Tribune that the RSF have begun using strategic drones, including the Long Wing 2 type and Chinese-made CH5 drones, to target cities in northern Sudan and El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State.
The sources indicated these drones can fly for 48 hours, have a range of 1,000 kilometers (about 620 miles), and possess significant capabilities for evading radar and jamming systems.
Sudanese army leaders have previously accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of providing strategic drones to the RSF, some of which allegedly launch from airports in Chad.
Yasir al-Atta, Vice President of the Sovereign Council and Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Army, had previously stated that N’Djamena and Am Djarass airports in neighboring Chad had become legitimate targets for the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Chad condemned those statements, announcing its readiness to confront any attempts aimed at destabilizing its security and stability.
Separately, Makkawi al-Khair, the Executive Director of Dongola locality, said the attack “will only increase their strength and determination to continue providing services and confront all attempts threatening the lives and security of citizens.”
Eyewitnesses reported hearing powerful explosions and seeing plumes of smoke as fuel depots burned at Dongola airport before Civil Defense firefighting teams extinguished the fires and brought them under control.
The intensification of aerial attacks on the Northern State follows threats by RSF second-in-command Abdel Rahim Dagalo to move the war north, after announcing the preparation of some 2,000 military vehicles to invade the Northern and River Nile states.