Eyewitnesses reported that drones began hovering over the city around midnight before carrying out at least two airstrikes. One of the drones reportedly struck the SAF division’s compound directly. Despite attempts by the Sudanese military ground defenses to intercept the drones, the unmanned aircraft were able to complete their mission, residents said.
The attack is the latest growing trend of drone warfare by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who have ramped up their use of long-range drones in recent weeks. These strikes have primarily targeted areas controlled by the SAF, signaling a significant shift in the tactics used by the RSF in the ongoing conflict.
On April 26, just days before the Kosti attack, Sudan’s army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan vowed to counter the RSF’s aerial operations. In a televised address, he pledged to eliminate the sources of these drone attacks, stressing that the army would escalate efforts to neutralize this emerging threat.
As of now, the SAF has not issued an official statement regarding the drone strike in Kosti. However, local sources reported that several soldiers were either killed or Injured in the bombing. The exact number of casualties remains unconfirmed.
The 18th Infantry division is one of the most strategically significant units in the Sudanese military. Its jurisdiction spans a wide operational area, from Khartoum in the north to the border with South Sudan in the south, and extending eastward through Al Jazirah and Sennar states and westward into Greater Kordofan. The division plays a critical role in maintaining security and logistical continuity in central and southern Sudan.
Kosti, traditionally regarded as a relatively stable city due to its inland location and logistic importance, has now joined a growing list of urban centers experiencing directly assaults. The use of drone warfare has introduced a new and unpredictable dimension to the two-year-long conflict, which has left thousands dead and displaced millions across Sudan.
As the conflict deepens, analysts warn that drone warfare could become a defining tactic in the battle between Sudan’s two rival military factions. For civilians in cities like kosti, line between frontlines and home continues to blur.
