Cairo: Hani Kamal El-Din
A powerful explosion followed by a massive blaze erupted at Port Sudan International Airport in the early hours of the day, following a targeted drone strike on fuel storage facilities within the airport grounds. Eyewitnesses reported heavy plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky, as emergency teams rushed to the scene.
According to Al Jazeera, which cited anonymous sources on the ground, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) launched a direct strike on the fuel tanks, causing a fiery chain reaction that engulfed parts of the airport in flames. In response, civil defense teams were immediately deployed to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby airport structures.
All inbound and outbound flights were suspended indefinitely, as airport authorities assessed the extent of the damage. As of now, no casualties have been reported, but officials have warned that the full scale of the destruction remains unclear.
🔶 Regional Escalation Raises Alarm
This drone attack comes amid growing instability across Sudan and South Sudan, where recent clashes have intensified. On March 4th, heavy fighting broke out in Nasir, a key town in northern South Sudan, between government troops and fighters belonging to the Nuer-dominated militia known as the White Army. The militia has known affiliations with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) and succeeded in seizing control of the town, including a major military installation.
Observers say the current unrest reflects the deepening fragmentation of the region, where rival factions have escalated their use of asymmetric warfare, including drone attacks, to target strategic infrastructure and gain leverage on the battlefield.
🔷 Humanitarian Facilities Also Under Fire
Just weeks before the Port Sudan incident, another disturbing episode unfolded. On May 3rd, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) reported that its hospital in Old Fangak, South Sudan, came under aerial bombardment. Though the identity of the attackers has not been confirmed, the organization described the assault as “a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.”
“We condemn the attack in the strongest possible terms,” said Mamman Mustafa, the country director of MSF in South Sudan. “Targeting medical facilities is unacceptable and puts civilian lives at risk.”
The growing trend of targeting both civilian and humanitarian infrastructure in Sudan and South Sudan has alarmed international organizations, who warn that such attacks could plunge the region into further chaos.
🔻 No Claims of Responsibility Yet
While no group has officially claimed responsibility for the drone strike on Port Sudan Airport, analysts believe the attack may be part of a broader campaign to destabilize key logistics and transportation hubs in the region. Drone warfare has increasingly become a tactic of choice for non-state actors operating within the conflict zones of East Africa.
Security experts caution that Sudan’s strategic position along the Red Sea makes it vulnerable to regional power struggles, particularly as its military and political institutions remain deeply fractured following years of civil war and failed peace efforts.
