Sudan: Rapid Support Forces Escalate Drone Warfare

Sudan Events – Agencies

The drone attacks by the “Rapid Support Forces” have resumed for the second consecutive day, targeting several military sites and infrastructure across Sudan, including the Jili Oil Refinery north of Bahri, the Berber Power Station in the north of the country, and sites in the northern city of Atbara. Explosions were also heard yesterday in the Karari area, where the “Wadi Sidna” Airbase, the largest military base of the army, the Military Academy, and key command centers are located.

Since the army retook the capital Khartoum and expelled the “Rapid Support Forces” from it, residents have reported that the war has recently shifted into a drone warfare phase. Military sources suggest that the “Rapid Support Forces” may have recently acquired modern Chinese-made “Ch-95” drones, which surpass the army’s capabilities in countering them.

The head of the Sovereignty Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has vowed to put an end to the drone attacks by the “Rapid Support Forces” following their intense bombardment of the “Wadi Sidna” base.

The militia of the Rapid Support Forces has once again targeted military sites and infrastructure in Sudan, including the Jili Oil Refinery north of Khartoum Bahri, the Berber Power Station in the north of the country, and a cement factory near Atbara in the north. Explosions were heard in the Karari area, where the “Wadi Sidna” Airbase, the largest airbase of the army, the Military Academy, and key command centers are located.

Usually, the army does not comment on its losses from attacks on its military sites and simply states that its anti-aircraft and ground defenses have countered the drones; however, the head of the Sovereignty Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has vowed to put an end to the drone attacks by the “Rapid Support Forces” after their heavy bombing of the “Wadi Sidna” base on Saturday morning in the suburbs of the capital Khartoum.

Chinese “Ch-95” Drones

Previously, the “Rapid Support Forces” used a variety of drones, primarily including primitive suicide drones. However, recent local media reports have indicated that the “Rapid Support Forces” have acquired modern winged drones of the Chinese-made “Ch-95” model, which are attack drones capable of reconnaissance, gathering intelligence, and delivering precise strikes on their targets. This explains the accuracy of recent attacks and the failure of the army’s ground defenses to counter them. Long-range drone strikes have now become a new phenomenon in the ongoing war between the Sudanese army and the “Rapid Support Forces,” which has entered its third year.

Witnesses reported that drones targeted the Berber Power Station in the Nile River State in northern Sudan early on Sunday, causing a fire at the station, which is not far from the city of Atbara, where its power station was also bombed in a similar attack on Friday evening. These attacks led to power outages in the Nile River and Red Sea states.

The ongoing attacks have caused significant damage to power stations and resulted in electricity cuts in several states in the north, east, and central parts of the country, including the coastal city of Port Sudan, which is the temporary administrative capital of the country.

In recent weeks, the “Rapid Support Forces” have targeted electricity facilities, airports, and fuel storage depots in the cities of Dongola, Marawi, Atbara, Damer, and Shendi, in northern Sudan, areas far removed from the frontlines.

Oil Refinery

In Khartoum, witnesses and social media platforms reported that the “Rapid Support Forces” drones targeted the Jili Oil Refinery on Sunday morning, causing a fire. They stated that they saw flames from a distance, while pro-army platforms reported that the bombing targeted the main cooking gas storage facility at the refinery. Platforms loyal to the army also stated that its ground defenses countered the drone attacks, but some drones hit the refinery in Jili, the Berber Power Station, and a cement factory near Atbara.

The “Rapid Support Forces” have intensified their drone attacks, targeting both civilian and military sites over the past two days, especially in northern cities such as Atbara, Damer, Berber, and the city of Omdurman, one of the three cities that form the Greater Khartoum area, which also includes Khartoum and Bahri.

Recently, the “Rapid Support Forces” have used modern winged drones as well as suicide drones to launch numerous attacks on power stations in several northern states controlled by the army, such as the Nile River State, Gedaref, White Nile, and even on the Merowe Dam, which supplies most of the country’s electricity.

Massive explosions had rocked early on Saturday morning the largest airbase of the Sudanese army in northern Omdurman. The spokesperson for the “Rapid Support Forces,” Basha Tapig, stated that the base was targeted, and several warplanes, drones, and weapons and ammunition stores were destroyed. He added in a post on the “X” platform that “this targeting sends a message that the war has now entered a new phase.”