Sudanese army drones strike RSF targets in Nyala, witnesses say
June 13, 2025 (NYALA) –The Sudanese army carried out a series of drone strikes on Friday against positions of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the South Darfur capital of Nyala, according to local sources and witnesses.
The strikes are part of an escalated air campaign by the army in the wider Darfur region. Nyala has served as a key command and logistics hub for the RSF since it seized control of the city last year.
Local sources reported that army drones struck Nyala’s airport and surrounding areas at dawn, with at least five loud explosions heard. Witnesses said fires were visible near the international airport.
Later in the evening, at least three more powerful explosions were reported in the central, southern, and eastern parts of the city. One witness saw ambulances transporting numerous killed and wounded RSF fighters from the Nyala University campus, which the RSF has allegedly converted into a training facility.
In response, the RSF claimed on Friday it had shot down an army drone over the city. It accused the aircraft, identified as a Turkish-made Akinci, of carrying out strikes on residential neighbourhoods that killed dozens of civilians.
The RSF reopened Nyala’s airport in September 2024. The army and its allies accuse the paramilitary force of using the airport to transport smuggled gold, receive weapons and ammunition and evacuate wounded fighters.