The key facts

  • Sudan's 14th Infantry Division said it repelled an RSF and SPLN attack on the Al-Baraka area in Blue Nile state
  • Air defenses intercepted a drone attack east of Khartoum, near the international airport; the number of drones was not specified
  • No comment from the RSF or SPLN on either incident

Repelled attack in Blue Nile state

Sudan's army said on Monday that its 14th Infantry Division repelled an attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their ally, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLN), on the Al-Baraka area in the southern sector of Blue Nile state in the country's southeast. According to the division's statement, the attackers failed to advance toward army positions; several military vehicles were destroyed, and the attackers were forced to retreat under heavy fire. The division said the operation confirmed the army's readiness to respond to any hostile actions threatening its positions or the safety of civilians and their property. There was no immediate reaction from the RSF or SPLN to these statements. In recent weeks, tensions have escalated in Blue Nile state amid RSF and SPLN attacks on a number of areas.

Drone interception over Khartoum

Separately, military sources told the Anadolu agency that on Monday morning the army's air defenses intercepted an RSF drone attack east of Khartoum, near the international airport. According to the sources, all drones were shot down, but their number was not specified. Witnesses told the agency about explosions in the sky over the eastern part of the capital; videos of a drone flying over Khartoum circulated on social media. There was also no comment from Sudanese authorities or the RSF regarding the report of the drone attack. Earlier, on May 4, Sudan's Ministry of Information reported that a drone had attacked a facility at Khartoum International Airport — with no casualties or material damage.

Conflict context

Sudanese authorities and human rights organizations accuse the RSF of attacks on civilian targets; the group rarely comments on these accusations and claims it is working to protect civilians. The war between Sudan's army and the RSF has been ongoing since April 2023 and began over disagreements about integrating the paramilitary group into the country's armed forces. According to available data, the conflict has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people, about 13 million have been forced to leave their homes, and hunger and the humanitarian situation have worsened — the crisis is considered one of the most severe in the world.