Paramilitary drones hit key sites in Sudan's south, reveals army official

KHARTOUM - Multiple paramilitary drones attacked key army positions and civilian infrastructure in Sudan's south on Sunday, an army official told AFP, just a week after similar strikes hit the capital.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been gripped by a brutal war between the regular armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), killing tens of thousands and displacing millions.

Sunday's strikes targeted the headquarters of the Sudanese army's 18th Division, along with fuel depots on the western bank of the Nile, east of the army-held city of Kosti in White Nile state, the official said.

Additional attacks hit the Kenana airbase and airport, located southeast of Kosti, while drones also struck the Um Dabakir power station, east of the city, the official added on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Eyewitnesses in Kosti, located some 320 kilometres (200 miles) south of Khartoum, reported extremely loud explosions during the attacks.

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks and the extent of the damage remains unclear.

An army spokesman separately said that a number of paramilitary drones targeted early Saturday facilities in El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state.

Army air defences intercepted the drones on El-Obeid, located about 400 kilometres (about 250 miles) southwest of Khartoum, the spokesman said, adding that no casualties were reported.

The army did not specify which facilities were targeted.

The attacks come days after a wave of RSF drone strikes targeted key infrastructure and army installations in and around Khartoum, including a power station, an oil refinery, a weapons factory and an airbase.

The RSF's Tasis administration, which has declared itself the governing authority in paramilitary-held areas, later claimed responsibility, describing them as "precise and successful air strikes".

Following the army's recapture of the capital in March, the RSF has increasingly used drones to attack army-controlled areas, often targeting critical infrastructure and causing widespread power outages affecting millions.

Efforts to broker a easefire between warring parties have so far failed.

On Saturday, Sudan's army-aligned government pushed back against a new peace proposal from four influential foreign powers -- the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.

The proposal called for a humanitarian truce, followed by a permanent ceasefire and a transition toward civilian rule.

The four nations also suggested that no warring party should be included in the post-war transition -- a proposal swiftly rejected by the government.

Sudan's current state institutions remain under army control.

The conflict has effectively split the country, with the army holding the north, east and centre, while the RSF dominates parts of the south and nearly all of the western Darfur region.