Flights resume at Port Sudan international airport following drone attacks

Khartoum, May 7 (IANS) Sudan's Civil Aviation Authority announced the resumption of flights to and from Port Sudan International Airport following hours of suspension caused by drone strikes.

In a statement on Tuesday night, the authority called on citizens to contact airline booking offices "to reschedule their flights" after attacks forced the cancellation of all air traffic earlier Tuesday.

The drone attacks on Tuesday struck strategic sites in Port Sudan, a port city on the Red Sea in eastern Sudan, including the international airport, a hotel near the temporary presidential palace, and an oil export port, according to eyewitnesses.

Although no group has officially claimed responsibility, the military has blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the drone attacks starting on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the Sudanese Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, the RSF has launched drone attacks targeting a military airbase, a fuel depot, and civilian facilities over the past two days.

Sudan has been embroiled in a devastating conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF since mid-April 2023, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives, with the exact toll unknown.

The International Organization for Migration estimates that over 15 million people have been displaced in the conflict, both within Sudan and abroad.

--IANS

int/rs