November 29, 2024 (EL FASHER) – The Sudanese army said it shot down some 20 drones launched by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Thursday and Friday, as the paramilitary group continued its attempts to seize control of the capital of North Darfur state.
The drones targeted the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division and positions held by the army and its allied forces in El Fasher, the army said in a statement.
El Fasher has been a battleground since conflict erupted between the army and the RSF in mid-May. Hundreds have been killed and tens of thousands displaced from the city, the largest in Sudan’s Darfur region.
“Ground defences shot down 16 drones yesterday, Thursday, which attempted to target gatherings of citizens and military sites on the western and northern axis,” the 6th Infantry Division said in a statement seen by Sudan Tribune.
A military source said the army also downed around five drones on Friday within the 6th Infantry Division headquarters.
Witnesses reported renewed clashes between the warring sides at dawn on Friday on the eastern and western edges of El Fasher as RSF fighters attempted to advance into the city. The army and its allies repelled the attack, the military source said.
The army and RSF traded artillery fire, with the RSF shelling the livestock market and southern neighbourhoods, causing an unspecified number of casualties, witnesses said. The army responded with shelling from its base west of the city, targeting RSF positions in east El Fasher.
Army warplanes also carried out airstrikes on RSF targets in the east of the city, witnesses said.
The fighting comes as the RSF seeks to capture El Fasher, one of the last remaining strongholds of Sudan’s central government in Darfur. The army and its allies are determined to defend the city.