Sudan: Drone strikes target Khartoum Airport on eve of reopening

Khartoum International Airport was struck by drones early on Tuesday (October 21), just a day before Sudanese authorities were set to reopen the facility for domestic flights for the first time in two years.

Witnesses told AFP they heard the buzzing of drones over central and southern Khartoum, followed by several explosions in the airport area between 04:00 and 06:00 local time.

The airport has been closed since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), leaving critical infrastructure across the capital severely damaged.

On October 20, Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that the airport would open as planned on Wednesday, with domestic flights resuming gradually following technical and operational preparations.

Although Khartoum has remained relatively calm since the army regained control earlier this year, drone attacks have persisted, with the RSF repeatedly accused of remotely targeting military and civilian infrastructure.

Tuesday’s strike marks the third drone attack on the capital in a week. Last week, drones targeted two army bases in north-west Khartoum over two consecutive days, though a military official said most of the drones were intercepted.

By Aghakazim Guliyev