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Drone strikes plunge eastern Sudan into darkness as attacks on power grid intensify

Workers assess damage at the Al-Markhiyat power station north of Omdurman on October 28, 2026, following a reported drone strike by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. (AFP Photo)
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Workers assess damage at the Al-Markhiyat power station north of Omdurman on October 28, 2026, following a reported drone strike by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. (AFP Photo)
November 02, 2026 10:35 AM GMT+03:00

Drone strikes hit two electricity substations in eastern Sudan early Monday, triggering widespread power outages, as Khartoum escalated accusations that neighboring Ethiopia has enabled attacks on civilian infrastructure during the country's civil war.

The attacks targeted substations in Aroma and New Halfa in Kassala state, local sources and witnesses told Anadolu Agency.

The latest strikes brought to 15 the number of electricity stations targeted by drones across Sudan over the past week, including facilities in Khartoum, Gezira, Sennar, Red Sea, Gedaref, Kassala and River Nile states.

Videos circulating on social media showed fires at the New Halfa and Aroma substations, with Civil Defense teams working to extinguish the blaze at the Aroma facility.

The attacks followed strikes Sunday on the Abu Hamad electricity substation in River Nile state and the Al-Dabbah substation in Northern state.

No immediate information was available about casualties from Monday's strikes or who was responsible.

Sudan accuses Ethiopia of enabling cross-border drone attacks

The latest disruption came a day after Sudan announced it had filed complaints against Ethiopia with the United Nations Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council, accusing Addis Ababa of involvement in attacks on civilian infrastructure.

In a report released Sunday, Sudan's army-led Transitional Sovereignty Council alleged that drones launched from Ethiopian territory had targeted Sudanese cities, military positions and civilian facilities since mid-February.

The report said Sudanese authorities had documented 70 attacks between Feb. 15 and Oct. 27, involving 187 one-way attack drones and 82 munitions dropped from drones.

According to the council, the attacks killed or wounded 484 civilians, while 176 Sudanese soldiers were killed and another 200 wounded.

"Since February 2026, armed drones have taken off from Ethiopian soil ... to strike Sudanese cities and civilians," the report said.

Sudanese authorities said their findings were based on evidence gathered from downed aircraft, flight data and military records.

The report identified alleged drone launch locations at Asosa Airport in western Ethiopia, the Kurmuk-Gizen border area and Bahir Dar Air Base in the northwestern Amhara region.

Khartoum claimed the campaign had intensified in recent months, with October alone accounting for 28 attacks involving 97 one-way attack drones.

This photograph shows damage at the Al-Markhiyat power station north of Omdurman on October 28, 2026, following a reported drone strike by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. (AFP Photo)
This photograph shows damage at the Al-Markhiyat power station north of Omdurman on October 28, 2026, following a reported drone strike by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. (AFP Photo)

Report details deadly attacks on civilians, power infrastructure

Among the incidents cited was an Oct. 9 strike targeting displaced families in Wad el-Mahi, in Sudan's Blue Nile state near the Ethiopian border.

According to the Sudanese report, the attack killed 30 civilians, including 26 women and four children, and wounded another 100 people.

The council also cited an Oct. 19 strike in Khartoum that reportedly killed three children, along with attacks on Oct. 26-27 that put six electricity stations out of service.

Sudan said it reserved its right to self-defense under international law.

Ethiopia has denied previous allegations that it supports drone attacks against Sudan and has separately accused the Sudanese military of backing rebels linked to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), a claim Khartoum rejects.

There was no immediate Ethiopian response to Sudan's latest accusations.

Sudan's civil war fuels growing drone threat

Sudanese authorities and human rights groups have repeatedly accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of attacking civilian infrastructure, including electricity facilities.

The RSF generally does not respond directly to such allegations and maintains that it works to protect civilians.

Both Sudan's military and the RSF have increasingly used drones capable of striking targets hundreds of kilometers away, extending the reach of attacks beyond active front lines.

According to the United Nations, more than 1,100 people were killed in drone attacks across Sudan during the first six months of 2026.

The Sudanese army and RSF have been fighting since April 2023, when disagreements over integrating the paramilitary force into the regular military escalated into armed conflict.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced approximately 13 million, driving a worsening humanitarian and hunger crisis.

The latest attacks on electricity infrastructure have added to the disruption of essential services as the conflict continues.

November 02, 2026 10:35 AM GMT+03:00
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