RSF launches drone attacks on Sudan’s El Obeid, Kosti
October 5, 2025 (EL OBEID, KOSTI) – The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a wide-scale drone attack at dawn on Sunday, targeting the cities of El Obeid in North Kordofan State and Kosti in White Nile State.
“Early this morning, a squadron of RSF drones attacked several locations in North Kordofan state,” local sources and eyewitnesses told Sudan Tribune.
They reported that the ground defences of the 5th Infantry Division command confronted the attack and managed to shoot down at least ten suicide drones. Eyewitnesses reported hearing a powerful explosion near the main army base in North Kordofan.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) later confirmed the attack on El Obeid, condemning it as a violation of international law. In a press statement on Sunday, the army said the “terrorist Daglo militia” targeted several civilian facilities with suicide drones on Saturday evening.
The statement specified that the attack damaged the teaching hospital, the Daman hospital, residential neighbourhoods, and other service facilities, but resulted in no casualties. “This targeting is not a victory for the scoundrels as much as it is a moral defeat and a confirmation of their persistence in defying international humanitarian law and harming innocent citizens,” the army added.
In recent months, El Obeid, which the army has turned into a centre for managing military operations in the Kordofan and Darfur regions, has been subjected to aerial and artillery shelling by the RSF. The attacks have targeted civilian facilities, including the city’s stadium, the industrial area, the Daman Hospital, and a hotel. The shelling also included military sites such as the 5th Infantry Division headquarters and the military hospital.
The intensified attack on El Obeid coincides with large military buildups by both sides in vast parts of the Kordofan region, indicating that the military situation in the area is heading towards further escalation.
Simultaneously with the attack on El Obeid, the same drones attempted to attack military sites in the city of Kosti, White Nile State, including the 18th Infantry Division command. Eyewitnesses reported hearing explosions and heavy anti-aircraft fire near the river port.
On September 29, a report by the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale University revealed that it had monitored RSF preparations to launch a large-scale drone attack. Satellite images showed at least 43 drones near Nyala airport.
The report clarified that satellite images documented 16 drone launch platforms near Nyala airport as of September 26, before another 20 platforms were added.