Sudanese army downs drones targeting airport in Gedaref

May 12, 2024 (GEDAREF) – On Sunday, Sudanese army ground defences shot down two drones attempting to target an airport in the Al-Fashaga area, east of Gedaref.

Over the past three days, the air defences have dealt with unidentified objects flying over Gedaref without downing them. Military sources suspect these were reconnaissance drones.

Military sources told Sudan Tribune that “two drones approached from the west of Gedaref city and were spotted near Wad Zayed Airport in the Al-Shawak area. The ground defences of the 2nd Infantry Division engaged them, successfully downing the drones before they could reach their targets.”

Wad Zayed Airport, located 35 kilometres east of Gedaref, was constructed alongside the Atbara and Setit Dam project to serve civilian travellers and host a military base.

This incident marks the second of its kind in Gedaref State, which has remained secure since the military clashes began between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15, 2023. The state currently shelters over 400,000 displaced people who fled from Khartoum and Al Jazirah states.

On April 9, the army also downed two drones attempting to target military sites in the eastern state of Sudan.

In the past two months, drone attacks have intensified in several cities that had remained safe since the onset of the military confrontations between the army and the RSF. Cities such as Atbara, Shendi, and Merowe have been targeted, resulting in civilian casualties.