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Paramilitary drone strikes have hit Al-Damazin, the capital of Sudan’s Blue Nile state, in one of the latest attacks to reach the relatively calm region since the country’s war began more than two years ago.
The overnight strikes on Monday caused explosions across the city, which borders Ethiopia, as Sudan’s army responded by deploying anti-aircraft missiles, according to witnesses and local authorities.
Two residents told AFP they “woke up to the sounds of explosions” during the attack. Another witness said a fire broke out “after a drone fell near the airport, causing a big explosion”.
The Blue Nile state government said security forces had contained what it described as “the enemy’s attempts to target Al-Damazin with drones”, adding that the situation was “under control”.
The attack marks a major security concern for Al-Damazin, which has largely avoided the worst of the fighting between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since the conflict started in April 2023.
The war has killed more than 200,000 people, according to aid workers’ estimates, while creating the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises.
The RSF and allied groups have increased military pressure along Sudan’s southern and eastern fronts this year, pushing closer to Al-Damazin. Their nearest known position is reportedly less than 100 kilometres south of the city.
The escalation has already displaced nearly 100,000 people across Blue Nile state, with almost half of them taking refuge in Al-Damazin.
Analysts say a major RSF offensive against the city could stretch Sudan’s army, forcing it to defend positions in both the Blue Nile region and Kordofan, where drone attacks have contributed to a prolonged military stalemate.
Sudan’s government has repeatedly accused the RSF of launching attacks from inside Ethiopian territory, allegations Ethiopia has denied. However, local sources say the porous border remains an important supply route for the paramilitary group and its allies.
The RSF and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, currently control parts of southern Blue Nile, a region bordering Ethiopia and South Sudan.
