The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, in Sunda carried out a new wave of drone strikes on Khartoum International Airport on Thursday, for the third consecutive day.

Sudanese media outlet Sudan News, citing witnesses, reported that seven drones targeted the airport and surrounding areas in the south of the capital, causing widespread panic among residents.

Explosions were heard at the airport, the media added.

The RSF began launching attacks on the airport and other strategic sites in Khartoum state on Tuesday, on the eve of the reopening of the facility, which has been closed for more than two years.

The airport welcomed its first civilian flight on Wednesday.

The FSR attacks did not cause major damage to the airport, security sources quoted by Sudanese media outlet Rakoba News said.

According to Rakoba News, these recent attacks targeting the country’s most vital installations reflect “a change in the nature of the conflict” between the RSF and the Sudanese army, marked by a shift from ground clashes to the increased use of drones as a tool of military and political pressure.

The rebel group did not immediately comment on the reports.

The Sudanese army and the RSF have been fighting since April 2023, a conflict that has left more than 20,000 dead and 14 million displaced, according to the UN and local authorities.