Drone strikes hit Khartoum airport, strategic sites as RSF escalates aerial attacks
May 4, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – At least three strategic locations in Khartoum State, including the international airport, were targeted by drone strikes on Monday.
The attack on vital sites in the capital follows an unprecedented aerial escalation initiated by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last week. Long-range drones have recently struck targets across White Nile, Gezira, North Kordofan, Khartoum, and Gedaref states.
Military sources told Sudan Tribune that a long-range drone fired four missiles, two of which landed in the eastern section of Khartoum International Airport near Obeid Khatim Street.
The missiles caused minor damage to an administrative building attached to the airport. Authorities evacuated airport staff and canceled a flight arriving from Port Sudan, while the ministries complex in the Al-Mujahedin neighborhood was also cleared.
Social media footage showed plumes of smoke rising from the eastern side of the airport following the strikes.
Drones also targeted the vicinity of the Signal Corps in Khartoum Bahri and the Al-Markhiyat camp in northern Omdurman. Information regarding casualties or the extent of damage at these sites remains unavailable.
Military sources accused Ethiopia of facilitating these RSF attacks, alleging that the long-range drones are launched from bases located within Ethiopian territory.
Khartoum International Airport resumed operations in October 2025 after undergoing extensive repairs for war damage. Despite maintenance efforts, the facility has faced repeated drone attacks by the RSF aimed at forcing it out of service.
The airport recently began receiving international flights from Cairo, Jeddah, and Kuwait City toward the end of last month.