RSF launches large-scale drone attacks on multiple targets in Khartoum

KHARTOUM – The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Tuesday morning carried out large-scale drone strikes on four major locations across the Sudanese capital Khartoum, targeting electricity infrastructure and military compounds, according to local sources and officials.

The attacks come amid escalating clashes between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in the Greater Kordofan region, where the army recently captured the small but strategic town of Kazigil, south of El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State.

According to multiple sources speaking to Sudans Post, the first strike hit the Murkhiyat Electricity Transformer Station in Ombada four times around 5:00 p.m. local time. A second strike targeted a compound outside the Yarmouk Military Complex in southern Khartoum.

A short fotage circulating online  was verified and geolocated by Sudans Post  to the main plant of the Murkhiyat Electricity Transformer Station. Local residents in Ombada said the facility’s transformer cables did not sustain major damage, and that the power outage which engulfed Omdurman after the strikes was an intentional measure to prevent fires.

The Sudanese Electricity Company confirmed the attacks in a statement and accused the United Arab Emirates of being behind the drones, echoing longstanding accusations from the Sudanese military that Abu Dhabi is backing the RSF.

A security source, who requested anonymity for not being authorized to speak publicly, told Sudans Post that another wave of drones targeted the Wadi Saedna military base, where ground defenses reportedly downed at least two suicide drones. The source said the drones attempted to strike both the base and the nearby Wadi Saedna Airbase.

“The major incident is the one at Murkhiyat, but there was another attack with five drones that tried to target Wadi Saedna including the airport, and two of them were downed while three fell in open areas,” the source said.

Locals also reported explosions near Khartoum Bahri’s northern district of Jaili, close to the Khartoum Refinery. The refinery itself is non-operational, having been destroyed during RSF control of the district and the January battles in which SAF forces advanced from River Nile State to retake parts of Khartoum.

While Sudanese officials played down the strikes as diversionary following RSF’s defeat in North Kordofan on Sunday, the full extent of the damage and possible casualties remains unclear.

The choice of targets underscores what appears to be the RSF’s strategy of striking both civilian infrastructure and military sites, with potentially wide-reaching consequences for electricity supply, fuel distribution, and SAF coordination.

Residents described mounting fear as drones circled over Khartoum, with explosions shaking several neighborhoods. Thick plumes of smoke were seen rising from Omdurman and northern Bahri as well as southern Khartoum, spreading panic among civilians already facing shortages of power and fuel.

Families rushed indoors as the sound of anti-aircraft fire echoed across the districts, underscoring the sense of insecurity. Daily life in the capital, already fragile, was brought to a standstill as people braced for further strikes.

“This is a very disappointing incident and while we return to rebuild life, nobody can ensure safety. The militia can target you anywhere, even places it cannot reach physically. That is very difficult to cope with. The explosions were aggressive and very disheartening,” said one eyewitness.

The RSF’s drone campaign in Khartoum coincides with intensifying ground fighting in Kordofan, where SAF and RSF units are locked in heavy clashes. Analysts say the twin offensives are likely designed to stretch SAF resources, distract from the Kordofan front, and demonstrate the RSF’s ability to project power in multiple theaters.

The strikes against Khartoum’s energy and military infrastructure could deepen challenges for the capital’s residents. The Murkhiyat station supplies electricity to large areas of Omdurman, the Al Jaili zone remains key to fuel distribution although not operational, and the Yarmouk compound is a central operations hub for SAF.

So far, authorities and humanitarian groups have released no detailed casualty figures or damage assessments. With drone activity ongoing, the risk to civilians remains high, adding to the atmosphere of insecurity in Khartoum and highlighting the volatility of Sudan’s conflict as the RSF and SAF fight for control across multiple fronts.