Sudanese army intercepts RSF drones near Khartoum airport, source says

October 19, 2026 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese army air defences on Monday intercepted drones launched by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) near Khartoum International Airport, a security source and witnesses said.

Air defence units brought down two RSF drones on Monday morning over the Burri and Nasir districts, just east of central Khartoum, a security source told Sudan Tribune.

Witnesses said they heard loud anti-aircraft fire and saw army air defences engaging targets across the capital’s skyline.

The Burri and Nasir neighbourhoods lie directly adjacent to Khartoum International Airport and the military’s General Command headquarters to the east and northeast.

Khartoum International Airport resumed flight operations in February 2026, ending a nearly three-year shutdown after the conflict erupted in April 2023.

The area surrounding the airport had previously been targeted by drone strikes during rehabilitation and repair work.

Both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF have intensified their use of unmanned aerial vehicles in recent weeks as combat spreads across several fronts.

Over the past 48 hours, the military carried out strikes on RSF positions in Nyala, South Darfur, as well as Abu Zaima, Al-Dabab, and Al-Khuwai in West Kordofan. RSF drones simultaneously targeted military and government facilities in the eastern states of Gedaref and Kassala.