Sudanese army completes second airdrop to besieged forces in El Fasher

October 7, 2025 (EL FASHER) – Sudan’s army completed its second airdrop in ten days to its besieged garrison in El Fasher early on Tuesday, eyewitnesses said, resupplying troops in the North Darfur capital amid a tightening siege by the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Two Antonov cargo planes were seen flying at high altitude before dawn, dropping supplies into army-controlled territory, the witnesses told Sudan Tribune. They said the drops, which occurred two hours apart, were not intercepted by RSF air defences and included ammunition, food, and medicine for the encircled units.

The operation followed heavy fighting in the city on Monday, where the RSF briefly reached key army headquarters before being repelled by the military and its allied factions.

The army had largely halted resupply flights to El Fasher after the RSF shot down one of its fighter jets over the city in April. It conducted its first airdrop since that incident on September 29.

That earlier delivery followed intense army drone strikes on RSF positions east of the city, where security sources believe the paramilitary force had installed advanced air defence systems allegedly operated by Colombian mercenaries.

The RSF has besieged El Fasher, the army’s last stronghold in the Darfur region, since April 2024. The blockade has prevented food and humanitarian aid from entering, causing severe shortages and sharp price increases for residents. In recent months, the RSF has intensified its attacks, making significant territorial gains and tightening its encirclement of army camps.