Sudan army repels RSF drone strikes in east, military sources say

October 18, 2026 (GEDAREF) – Sudanese air defences intercepted several suicide drones launched by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces targeting military positions and key infrastructure in the eastern states of Gedaref and Kassala on Sunday, military sources told Sudan Tribune.

The strikes marked the second such aerial assault on the region in recent weeks, following attacks on army positions in al-Fashaga and Khashm El-Girba on Sept. 15.

The sources said the drones targeted army defensive lines at the Upper Atbara and Setit dam complex in Gedaref, as well as the Khashm El-Girba dam in neighbouring Kassala.

Ground fire also intercepted multiple drones aimed at the army’s 2nd Infantry Division headquarters and other government and military facilities in Gedaref city, the sources added.

No casualties or major damage were reported from the attack, which was carried out by a swarm of loitering munitions.

The RSF could not immediately be reached for comment.

Both the military and the paramilitary force have stepped up their use of attack and reconnaissance drones as the war, which erupted in mid-April 2023, spreads across previously stable areas of the country.