Sudanese Forces Down RSF Drone at Khartoum Airport

Sudanese air defenses intercepted a drone targeting Khartoum International Airport on Monday, preventing any damage or casualties in the latest strike amid a surge of attacks in the capital.

Airport officials and military sources confirmed the drone, launched by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, approached from the south but was shot down before reaching its target. Flights at the facility paused briefly for checks before resuming. The incident shattered months of relative calm in Khartoum, where residents, government ministries, and aid agencies had begun returning after the army retook the city last year.

The Sudanese government accused neighboring Ethiopia of facilitating the attack, claiming evidence that it originated from Bahir Dar airport. Officials also implicated the United Arab Emirates in supplying the drones. In response, Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem announced the recall of Sudan's ambassador to Ethiopia for consultations. Army spokesman Brigadier General Asim Awad Abdelwahab stated at a Tuesday press conference that analysis of a downed drone from mid-March traced four strikes since March 1 to the same Ethiopian site and UAE origins.