SUDAN’S paramilitary unleashed drones on the Red Sea city of Port Sudan early today, hitting key targets there, including the airport, the port and a hotel, military officials said. 

The barrage was the second such attack this week on a city that had been a hub for people fleeing Sudan’s two-year war.

There was no immediate word on any casualties or the extent of the damage. Local media reported loud sounds of explosions and fires at the port and the airport. Footage circulating online showed thick smoke rising over the area.

The attack on Port Sudan, which also serves as an interim seat for Sudan’s military-allied government, underscores that after two years of fighting, the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are still capable of threatening each other’s territory.

The RSF drones struck early in the morning, said two Sudanese military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media.

Abdel-Rahman al-Nour, a Port Sudan resident, said he woke up to strong explosions and saw fires and plumes of black smoke rising over the port. 

The attack apparently disrupted air traffic at the airport, with Cairo airport data in neighbouring Egypt showing that three Port Sudan-bound flights were cancelled on Tuesday.

The RSF have not released any statements on the attack.