Sudan Conflict Escalates with RSF Drone Strikes on Khartoum, Port Sudan; Seven Killed, SAF Captures Atrun

The conflict in Sudan, now over two years old, has escalated into a new phase marked by intensified drone attacks and ground assaults. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, have launched unprecedented long-range drone strikes targeting key locations including Khartoum, Port Sudan, and Merowe. These attacks have caused widespread power outages in Khartoum and resulted in casualties, including seven deaths in a drone strike on Sudan Shield Forces camps in central Sudan. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF are engaged in fierce battles for territorial control and political legitimacy, with the RSF consolidating power in South Darfur and preparing to declare a parallel civilian government to challenge the Port Sudan-based administration. Recent military operations include the SAF and allied forces capturing the strategic Atrun area in North Darfur and seizing an RSF weapons depot. Both sides are intensifying air and ground operations, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence as the war enters a so-called "bone-breaking" phase.