RSF drone attack hits airport fuel depot in Sudan’s Northern State

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a drone strike on Dongola Airport in Sudan’s Northern State on Monday, targeting a key fuel depot and triggering a massive explosion visible across the city.

Launched from the south of the airport, the missile reportedly struck a storage facility, igniting fuel stores and forcing airport personnel to evacuate.

Columns of smoke billowed into the sky following the blast, which did not result in casualties, according to local authorities.

RSF officials have yet to comment on the incident, though in previous cases they have denied responsibility for similar attacks.

Northern State government officials confirmed the attack in an official statement on Monday, condemning what it described as a deliberate attempt by the RSF to destroy civilian infrastructure.

Governor Abdeen Awadallah, who inspected the damage on site, denounced the strike as “cowardly and desperate,” accusing the RSF of targeting services meant for civilians. “These are acts of sabotage, not war,” he said.

Last year, the Sudanese government agreed to reopen the airports in Dongola, Kassala, and El Obeid to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries. The decision followed the temporary closure of the Adré border crossing with Chad, which authorities claimed was being used as a supply route for the RSF.

Makawi El Kheir, Executive Director of Dongola locality, vowed the attack would not break the resolve of local authorities. “Targeting Dongola Airport will only increase our strength and determination to confront threats and protect citizens,” he said.

Civil defence teams said they quickly contained what they described as a “limited fire” at the airport’s fuel storage site. According to a police statement, emergency crews successfully cooled the fuel tanks and extinguished the blaze.

The attack in Dongola is the latest in a string of RSF drone offensives targeting strategic infrastructure across Northern State.

On Sunday, RSF drones struck the Sudanese Armed Forces’ 73rd Brigade in the city of Ed Debba, killing and injuring an unspecified number of soldiers.

The previous day, RSF forces launched an assault on the hydroelectric Merowe Dam, a key source of electricity, causing widespread blackouts across Northern State, Omdurman, and large parts of the country. In January, the dam was also targeted by drones in a reported RSF offensive.

RSF Deputy Commander Abdelrahim Dagalo pledged to “transfer the war” to Sudan’s north. In a recent statement, he claimed 2,000 military vehicles were being mobilised to expand RSF operations into Northern and River Nile states.