Sudan's army said its air defences shot down a long-range drone it described as hostile in the Dandaro area of Blue Nile state on Friday, alleging that the aircraft had crossed into Sudan from Ethiopia, as fighting intensified on one of the main fronts of the country's civil war.

Source: Addis Standard, citing Sudan Tribune

The army announced the interception on social media. A second report described the aircraft as an enemy strategic drone brought down in the Dandro area of southeastern Blue Nile, and said the military gave no further details about its origin or intended target beyond its statement.

Source: QNC News

Kurmuk Governor Abdel-Ati Al-Faki, who visited the wounded in hospital, said the death toll from the Bani Shako attack had risen to 16, with six displaced people injured and several others still missing. Local authorities moved the wounded to Ed Damazin, the state capital, for treatment.

Source: QNC News

Local officials blame the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the Bani Shako strike, which hit a group of displaced civilians travelling toward Ed Damazin in search of safety. Survivors said other injured people remained stranded in the area southeast of the capital, where fighting has cut families off from help, and officials said the search for the missing travellers continues. The RSF had not commented on the allegation in the reports.

Fighting around Sali and Kurmuk

Fighting has continued across Blue Nile in recent days, especially around the strategically important military base of Sali, which is under pressure from a joint offensive by the RSF and an allied faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu. The army says it has been repelling attacks on the installation since Monday. The current campaign in southern Blue Nile dates back to March, when the RSF and its allies captured the town of Kurmuk on March 23, taking the local administrative headquarters and the facilities of the 16th Infantry Brigade.

Khartoum and Addis Ababa trade accusations

Sudan has repeatedly accused Ethiopia of providing launch sites and logistical support for drones used against military positions and civilian sites inside Sudan, and of supporting the RSF and the SPLM-N. Ethiopia has denied any involvement in Sudan's conflict and, in turn, accuses the Sudanese army of supporting Tigray People's Liberation Front insurgents in northern Ethiopia. At the beginning of this month, both governments closed their consulates near the shared border and expelled diplomats, sharply raising tensions.

Sudan's war began in April 2023 between the army and the RSF and has displaced millions of people. Aid workers say the spread of drone strikes to roads used by fleeing families has made even the journey to safety dangerous. What happens next will depend on whether the Blue Nile fighting around Sali and Kurmuk spreads further toward Ed Damazin, and whether the drone dispute pushes Sudan and Ethiopia into a wider diplomatic or military confrontation.