Sudan army shoots down ‘hostile drones’ above White Nile and Omdurman military sites

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced that they shot down four drones above Kosti and Kenana in White Nile state this early morning, and two in the neighbourhood of the Wadi Sayedna army base in Omdurman. The central market of Rabak, the White Nile state capital, was closed for a routine ‘security combing operation’.

The drones, suspected to originate from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), were shot down near the garrison of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) 18th Division in Kosti, and the Kenana military base at about 3:00 in the morning.

The shooting caused panic among the people living near the military bases, despite broadcasts of assurances by the SAF and the security apparatus that they shot down the four drones above the two towns, as well as two drones nearby the Wadi Sayedna (Wadi Sidna) army base in northern Omdurman.

The incidents in White Nile state followed the visit of SAF Commander-in-Chief General Abdelfattah El Burhan to Kosti yesterday, who reiterated his refusal to negotiate with the RSF, and meet with the Civil Democratic Forces (Tagadom).

In Rabak, the capital city of White Nile state, the authorities closed the market today, claiming this was part of a monthly routine security combing procedure.

Kosti and Rabak have witnessed intensive search campaigns by security agents in the past few weeks, seemingly looking for specific people in the markets. Three days ago, security officers surrounded the New Hilla neighbourhood in Rabak and conducted thorough searches of homes.

Both towns witnessed a new influx of displaced people from El Gezira, after the attack launched by RSF soldiers on the Wad El Noura village two days ago in which more than 100 people were killed. The RSF took control of the state in December last year.

Since the outbreak of the war between the SAF and the paramilitary RSF in April 2023, drone attacks have been reported. The last couple of months, however, the use of drones by both warring parties has apparently increased.

Drones, allegedly used by the RSF, have been targeting towns and cities in the so-called ‘safe states’ in northern and eastern Sudan this year.

On March 2, at least five people died and others were injured in a drone attack on a Ramadan iftar by the Islamist El Baraa bin Malik Brigade, fighting the RSF along the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), in Atbara, River Nile state.

In April, three drones reportedly attempted to destroy Merowe Airport in Northern State. The SAF shot down two “hostile drones” in Shendi.

The SAF has gained victories in Omdurman since the start of the year, in part due to weapon and Mohajer-6 drone shipments from Iran.

It is believed that SAF’s rewarming of relations with Iran and the recent agreement with Russia for a Red Sea base in exchange for “unrestricted qualitative miliary aid”, will increase drone warfare in Sudan even further.