(MENAFN) Unmanned aerial vehicles targeted Sudan’s primary airport in the capital city just hours before the anticipated return of domestic air travel for the first time in over two years, as per local reports.

Residents described hearing loud detonations and witnessing drone activity around Khartoum International Airport in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

According to a media outlet, which referenced unnamed security officials, military anti-air systems intercepted multiple drones around 4 a.m. local time.

Authorities have not yet released any official information concerning possible injuries or destruction caused by the incident.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Sudan had earlier stated on Monday that the airport would resume operations on Wednesday, following extensive repair work on runways and terminals, along with safety evaluations.

The airport has remained closed since April 2023, when intense fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group headed by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

Back in March, Gen. Burhan, who also serves as Sudan’s interim leader, proclaimed Khartoum to be “free” after government troops reclaimed the airport from the RSF’s control.

Nevertheless, ongoing reports indicate continued hostilities, with the RSF frequently blamed for assaults targeting both civilian and military sites throughout the capital and other parts of the nation.

As reported by BBC, Tuesday’s drone strike marked the third such attack in Khartoum in a single week, following two separate assaults on military installations northwest of the city on consecutive days last week.

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