KHARTOUM: The Sudanese capital, Khartoum, was hit by rockets on Thursday, while paramilitaries launched an attack on a crucial air force base north of the city, claiming to have inflicted casualties on government soldiers.
Witnesses reported “heavy artillery shelling” in the northwest of Khartoum, while drones belonging to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the air base, as reported by AFP.
The RSF stated that it had “destroyed three fighter jets, as well as stores of weapons, military equipment, and supplies,” asserting that its forces had “killed or wounded dozens” of soldiers.
Impact of Sudan Conflict
The ongoing conflict between Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has escalated since April 15. The clashes have been concentrated in Khartoum and the Darfur region, resulting in more than 3,900 deaths and displacing over 3.3 million people.
An interior ministry statement revealed that a police lieutenant general was killed in an attack on a police base earlier this month. While police forces remain loyal to the army in the capital, they have been observed fighting alongside the RSF in the war-torn Darfur region.
Both factions claim to uphold democracy, but their power struggle has disrupted Sudan’s transition to civilian rule. Burhan and Daglo came to power in an October 2021 coup, but their alliance soured, leading to the current bitter feud.
The Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), the main civilian bloc ousted in 2021, refuted any links to the paramilitary group following claims by one of the army’s top commanders, Yasser Atta, who referred to the FFC and RSF as “allies.” The FFC emphasized its condemnation of violations committed by both parties.
