Sudan army ‘repels drone attack’ in Northern State

Three drones reportedly attempted to target Merowe Airport at 04:00 on Saturday. According to the 19th Infantry Division in Merowe in Sudan’s Northern State no one was killed, and no infrastructure was damaged. 

According to the statement made on Saturday, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted Merowe Airport with the three drones. They were allegedly successfully shot down by Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Surface to Air Missiles. 

The command in Merowe reported that it had detected three small reconnaissance drones flying at high altitudes from west to east above its bases in the Um Bakoul area, 70 kilometres south of Merowe at the west bank of the River Nile, on Wednesday. They were shot at by ground-based anti-aircraft guns and the drones left the area, the report noted. 

This incident is the fourth of its kind this month, as the Sudanese army announced on Tuesday that it had shot down two drones near the command of the 3rd Infantry Division in Shendi, River Nile state in northern Sudan. Eyewitnesses told Radio Dabanga that a third drone was sighted on the outskirts of Shendi on Wednesday morning. 

The presence of the drones in Shendi coincided with the visit of the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan. 

El Gedaref in eastern Sudan witnessed an attack with drones on military and security areas in El Fao and El Gedaref town in April, which led to casualties. Wad Zayed Airport in El Fashaga in the southeastern part of the state was also attacked by drones. Military sources said that they responded with air and ground anti-aircraft weapons. 

Drone attacks have increased significantly since at least five people died and others were injured in an apparent drone attack which targeted a Ramadan iftar by the SAF affiliated El Baraa bin Malik Brigade in Atbara in Sudan’s River Nile state on March 2. 

Drones have reportedly begun to threaten so-called safe states in Sudan not under control of the RSF. The weapons have been used by both sides during the conflict. It is known that the SAF have Iranian-made Mohajer-6 drones in their arsenal, however the source of drones used by the RSF is unclear. 

Mohajer-6 drones played an important role and were a ‘decisive factor’ in the success of the SAF battle to wrest control of the National Radio and Television Corporation buildings from RSF control in mid-March.