An airstrike on Nyala International Airport earlier this month damaged an aircraft and forced the cancellation of a planned flight carrying Rapid Support Forces personnel to a combat zone, according to local Sudanese media.
Three RSF military sources told Darfur24 that the flight had been scheduled for September 6 or 7 but was cancelled after the airport came under aerial attack. The sources said an aircraft parked at the facility was damaged, while no casualties were reported.
Two RSF soldiers, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said they arrived at the airport at around 7 p.m. ahead of a planned deployment to combat fronts in the desert along Sudan’s border with Libya.
Less than an hour later, they heard a powerful explosion inside the airport compound, triggering panic among personnel gathered there. They were subsequently informed that the flight had been cancelled and would be rescheduled, according to Darfur24.
The report did not identify who carried out the strike or specify the type of aircraft damaged.
The incident comes amid growing military and logistical activity at Nyala airport.
Residents and military sources told Darfur24 in August that air traffic at the facility had increased significantly, with aircraft increasingly landing during daylight hours. Two RSF sources said some of the flights were linked to the transfer of military supplies and equipment as fighting intensified in Kordofan, though Darfur24 said it could not independently verify the cargo.
The same report said RSF reinforcements and mobile units had been moving from Darfur toward Kordofan as both sides built up forces for further fighting.
Nyala airport has also repeatedly been targeted during the conflict. On August 24, Sudan Tribune reported that suspected Sudanese army drones struck several RSF positions in Nyala, including areas surrounding the airport, shortly after a large cargo aircraft arrived in the city.
Earlier strikes have also targeted the airport, fuel and ammunition facilities and other military positions around Nyala, according to local reporting.
The RSF reopened Nyala International Airport in September 2024. Since then, the facility has developed into a major logistics hub for the force, while Nyala has also served as a political and administrative centre for the Sudan Founding Alliance, known as TASIS.
