Drones hit Khartoum airport on eve of planned reopening

October 21, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – Drones attacked Khartoum’s international airport at dawn on Tuesday, security sources and witnesses said, striking the facility just a day before it was scheduled to resume domestic flights for the first time since the war began.

A security source told Sudan Tribune that army anti-aircraft defenses intercepted several drones after 4:00 a.m. but did not immediately provide details on the extent of any damage.

Witnesses in nearby neighbourhoods reported hearing drones followed by the sound of anti-aircraft fire and explosions. They said plumes of smoke were seen rising from within the airport perimeter.

There was no immediate official statement from either the Sudanese army or the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The airport had been undergoing repairs after suffering extensive damage when the conflict erupted.

The attack came hours after Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority had announced the airport would reopen for domestic flights on Wednesday. The facility was one of the first sites attacked by the RSF at the war’s outset and has been closed for more than two years.