Published On 22/10/2025
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Last update: 03:34 (Mecca time)
The Rapid Support Forces attacked the city of Sennar with marches, while its leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), threatened to target any plane or drone taking off from areas controlled by the Sudanese army or even from a neighboring country.
This came at the end of an eventful day that witnessed the attack on Khartoum International Airport with marches and a visit by the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, to the airport.
Hemedti said that any aircraft or drone operating in areas controlled by the army is a legitimate target, as are the airports from which it takes off, even if they are in a neighboring country, he said.
Hemedti added that the Rapid Support will target the army as a matter of legitimate defense, indicating that his forces will stop targeting the Rapid Support areas with marches, and stressing that he will not target civilians in areas under the army’s control.
Marching raids
Earlier on Tuesday, security sources told Al Jazeera that Rapid Support marches launched raids on the city of Sennar, the largest city in Sennar State, and targeted civilian and military facilities, but the ground anti-aircraft guns of the Sudanese army responded to the attacks.
An informed government source and another security source also confirmed to Al Jazeera that the Rapid Support targeted Khartoum International Airport with marches.
According to the security source, about 3 marches attacked the outskirts of the airport, causing damage and limited injuries, explaining that ground defenses responded to the attack, which reduced the damage.
Proof: There is no role for mercenaries
Regarding the resumption of airport operations scheduled for Wednesday, a source told Al Jazeera that the matter is under discussion. It is being discussed with the relevant authorities.
For his part, the head of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, visited Khartoum airport and confirmed from there the army’s determination to eliminate the rebellion in the country.
Al-Burhan added that there will be no role for those he described as mercenaries and those who support them in the future of Sudan, but at the same time they welcome any peace initiative built on solid national foundations.
The tragedy of El Fasher
Meanwhile, the tragedy continues in the city of El Fasher, which is besieged by the Rapid Support Forces, as the International Organization for Migration announced, on Tuesday, the displacement of more than a thousand people from the city located in western Sudan in the last two days alone, due to worsening insecurity.
The organization previously announced the displacement of more than 1,500 people from the city between October 15 and 19, explaining that the security situation in the region is still tense and volatile.
According to Anatolia News Agency, the Rapid Support Forces have been besieging the city of El Fasher since May 10, 2024, while the Sudanese army is seeking to break the siege of the city, which is the center of humanitarian operations for the five states of Darfur.
On the other hand, Hemedti accused the army, on Tuesday, of preventing civilians from leaving the city of El Fasher to use them as human shields.
Since April 15, 2023, the army and the Rapid Support Forces have been waging a war that many regional and international mediations have not succeeded in ending, amid civilian suffering.
About 20,000 people were killed in the war and more than 15 million were displaced, including displaced persons and refugees, according to international and local reports, while a study prepared by American universities estimated the death toll at about 130,000 people.