The Rapid Support Forces launched drone attacks on Omdurman and Bahri in retaliation for recent military losses in North Kordofan, Sudanese army sources said.
These strikes signal an escalation in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles during the conflict, potentially shifting the tactical landscape in the capital region.
The attacks occurred between May 19 and 20, 2023, during the sixth week of the war [1]. Army officials said the RSF drone strikes were a direct response to recent losses in North Kordofan [1].
Reports on the success of the operation vary. Some sources said the RSF launched strikes on Omdurman and Bahri [1], while a Sudanese army spokesperson said air-defence systems intercepted several RSF drones targeting Omdurman [3].
The violence follows a period of intense fighting in the North Kordofan region. A reporter for Al Arabiya said that the death toll from an RSF attack in North Kordofan rose to 30 [4].
These clashes occurred despite previous attempts to stabilize the region. Records indicate a seven-day cease-fire agreement had been signed [1].
The Sudanese army continues to monitor the airspace over the capital and its surrounding cities. Military officials have not specified the number of drones deployed in the May attacks, but they said that the RSF is utilizing these tools to offset losses on the ground [1].
“The RSF drone strikes were a direct response to its recent losses in North Kordofan.”
The transition toward drone warfare by the Rapid Support Forces indicates a strategy to project power into urban centers like Omdurman and Bahri without risking ground troops. By linking these strikes to losses in North Kordofan, the Sudanese army highlights a pattern of retaliatory cycles that undermine cease-fire agreements and complicate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
