A drone strike by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on an army base in the southeastern Sudanese city of Sinja has killed at least 27 people and wounded 73, according to military and health officials.
The attack on Monday targeted the headquarters of the army’s 17th Infantry Division in Sinja, the capital of Sennar state. A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the strike occurred during a meeting of military, security, and government officials from several eastern and central states.
The governor of the neighboring White Nile state narrowly escaped the attack, though his bodyguard and head of protocol were among those killed, according to the state’s communications office.
Sinja, located approximately 300 kilometers southeast of Khartoum, had been relatively shielded from the conflict since the army regained control of the area in late 2024. This recent attack signals a renewed threat in a region that had seen the return of over 200,000 displaced people.
The ongoing war between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced over 11 million people, creating one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. While the army controls Sudan’s north, east, and center, the RSF holds territory in the western Darfur region and parts of the south.
