Drone Strikes Rock Sudan’s Key Port, Intensifying Civil War

Smoke rises from the airport of Port Sudan following reported attacks early on May 4.
Source: AFP/Getty Images

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By Mohammed Alamin and Simon Marks

May 6, 2025 at 5:48 AM UTC

Updated on

May 6, 2025 at 2:40 PM UTC

Armed drones struck the airport and harbor in Sudan’s main coastal city, escalating a deadly conflict between the North African nation’s army and the Rapid Support Forces militia.

Footage aired by pan-Arab TV channel Al-Arabiya after Tuesday’s blasts showed massive smoke clouds billowing from the waterfront in Port Sudan, the de-facto seat of Sudan’s military-aligned government since shortly after the civil war erupted in April 2023.