Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces attacks an army base in the southeastern city of Sinja with drones.By News AgenciesPublished On 13 Jan 202613 Jan 2026Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareThe paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed 27 people in a reported drone attack on a Sudanese army base in the southeastern city of Sinja, a military source told Al Jazeera.Monday’s attack coincided with an announcement a day prior that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) would be returning to the capital, Khartoum, three years after it had shifted its base of operations to Port Sudan.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe SAF and the RSF have been locked in a brutal civil war since April 2023, with Khartoum serving as a central area of dispute.The military source, who spoke to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, said Monday’s drone attack targeted not only leaders in the government forces but also the security teams and civilians accompanying them.It was unclear how many people were wounded in the attack.Al Jazeera received reports that 13 people were injured, while some estimates have put the number much higher. The AFP news agency put the total at 73 wounded, citing military and health sources.Qamar al-Din Fadl al-Mawla, the governor of Sudan’s White Nile state, was among the officials in Sinja at the time of the attack, according to a government statement. While he survived, two of his colleagues were reportedly killed.Sinja, the capital of Sennar state, is located along a key route to Khartoum, some 300km (180 miles) to the north.It also houses the headquarters of the SAF’s 17th Infantry Division, which was the apparent target of Monday’s attack.RSF adviser Al-Basha Tibiq indicated on the social media platform Facebook that the drone attack was intended to send a warning to the Sudanese military leaders. Advertisement However, Salah Adam Abdullah, a spokesperson for the Sennar state government, described the SAF as repelling the drone attack. “The army’s anti-aircraft defences dealt with it,” he said.He added that the shelling resulted in losses and injuries among civilians, but that life has now returned to normal in the city.Despite its strategic position as an artery to th …
