Explosions were heard in Port Sudan on Tuesday, following a drone strike by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeting several sites in the eastern Sudanese city, including the airport and seaport.
Billows of dark smoke were seen rising in the city following the explosions, according to an Anadolu reporter.
Witnesses said fires broke out at a fuel depot at Port Sudan International Airport and around the city's southern port.
No information was yet available about casualties.
The cause of the explosions was not yet clear, but the Sudanese Ministry of Energy earlier said that fires had broken out at strategic oil depots in the city following an RSF drone strike.
Following the drone attack, several flights at the Port Sudan airport were delayed or rescheduled, according to a source inside the airport.
Tuesday’s strike was the third by the rebel group on Port Sudan in the past 48 hours, local sources said.
The Sudanese Civil Aviation said that flights will be suspended to and from Port Sudan airport until 05:00 pm (1500 GMT).
There was no immediate comment from the RSF on the report.
The Red Sea city has become the temporary administrative capital and a de facto seat of the Sudanese government following the outbreak of clashes with the RSF since April 2023.
On Sunday, the Sudanese authorities accused the RSF of striking the eastern cities of Port Sudan and Kassala with combat drones, triggering wide Arab condemnations.
In recent weeks, drone strikes have increasingly targeted power stations in northern cities such as Merowe, Dongola, Al Dabbah, and Atbara, with the Sudanese government blaming the rebel faction for the attacks.
Since April 2023, the RSF has been battling the army for control of Sudan, resulting in thousands of deaths and creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
More than 20,000 victims have been killed, and 15 million displaced, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US scholars, however, puts the death toll at around 130,000.
By Ahmed Asmar
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr