Fresh explosions in Port Sudan, army launches anti-aircraft missiles: Reports

Explosions were heard in the Sudanese city of Port Sudan early on Wednesday, Reuters news agency reports, quoting an eye witness. The Sudanese army has launched anti-aircraft missiles.

The military repelled a drone attack targeting Sudan's biggest naval base an army source told AFP news agency, marking the fourth day the city has come under strikes.

"They (the drones) were met with anti-aircraft missiles," the source said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

An AFP correspondent heard a series of explosions coming from the direction of the Flamingo base for nearly half an hour at dawn.

There was no immediate comment from either the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces or the Sudanese army. The two sides have been locked in a conflict since 2023.

Fires and explosions also rocked Port Sudan on Tuesday, part of a days-long drone assault that has torched the country's biggest fuel depots and damaged its main gateway for humanitarian aid.

Port Sudan had enjoyed relative calm since the civil war between the army and Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April 2023.

The city on the Red Sea coast became the base for the army-aligned government after the RSF swept through much of the capital Khartoum, at the start of the conflict.

Tower stations targeted earlier

On Sunday, Sudanese authorities accused the Rapid Support Forces of striking the eastern cities of Port Sudan and Kassala with combat drones, prompting widespread condemnation from Arab nations.

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 RSF for the attacks.

Since April 2023, the Rapid Support Forces has been battling the army for control of Sudan, resulting in thousands of deaths and creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

The conflict has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 15 million, according to UN estimates and local authorities.