Sudanese army airdrops supplies to besieged El Fasher base

September 29, 2025 (EL FASHER) – Sudan’s army on Monday conducted its first successful airdrop of supplies in five months to its main base in the besieged North Darfur capital of El Fasher, military sources and witnesses said.

The supply line had been cut since April after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shot down an army fighter jet over the city.

“A Sudanese Air Force cargo plane dropped supplies for the 6th Infantry Division command in El Fasher early this morning,” a military source told Sudan Tribune. The delivery included ammunition, medicine, food, and cash, the source added.

Witnesses said an Antonov cargo plane circled over the city for more than 30 minutes, dropping its payload without being intercepted by RSF anti-aircraft positions.

The operation was preceded by four days of intense army drone strikes on RSF positions, including an area east of El Fasher where security sources believe the RSF has installed air defence systems allegedly operated by foreign mercenaries.

Over the past three days, the Sudanese air force has conducted several strikes on RSF positions around El-Fasher to neutralize their air defence systems.

The RSF has besieged El Fasher since April 2024, blocking food, medicine, and humanitarian aid. The blockade has caused severe shortages and soaring prices, crippling the city’s population.

In the past two months, the RSF has intensified its attacks on the city, making significant territorial gains and tightening its stranglehold on the army’s positions.