A series of paramilitary drone strikes on Tuesday shattered a fragile sense of calm in Sudan’s capital region, targeting vital infrastructure and stalling a government-led push to rebuild war-torn Khartoum.

The early-morning assaults struck multiple sites, including the Al-Jaili oil refinery, the Al-Markhiyat power substation in Omdurman, and the Yarmuk weapons factory, according to witnesses who requested anonymity.

A military source confirmed that drones also attempted to hit the Wadi Seidna air base, though “our air defence intercepted and shot down the drones that were targeting the base.”

The Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) Tasis administration later claimed responsibility, saying its fighters had carried out “precise and successful air strikes” across Khartoum and beyond.

Four drones reportedly hit the power station, sparking a fire. Social media footage showed flames rising from the site.

A source from the national electricity company said damage was minor, but residents reported blackouts in some districts of the capital.

Another strike hit an army facility in Kafuri, leaving several soldiers wounded, according to a separate military source.

The attacks came just months after Sudan’s regular army retook Khartoum in March and launched an ambitious reconstruction programme.

The United Nations estimates that around 600,000 people have returned to the capital in recent months, seeking to rebuild lives after mass displacement.

That fragile progress now appears at risk.

The war, which erupted in April 2023 between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has devastated Khartoum. Roughly half of the city’s nine million residents fled at the height of the fighting.

Nationwide, the conflict has killed tens of thousands and created the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis.

The UN reports that about 10 million people remain uprooted inside Sudan, with another four million forced to seek safety abroad.

While Khartoum had recently enjoyed relative calm, battles have intensified in other regions, particularly in Kordofan and Darfur.

The North Darfur capital, El-Fasher, under prolonged siege by the RSF since May 2024, has seen some of the war’s deadliest clashes.

The UN recently accused the RSF of committing “myriad crimes against humanity” during its offensive there.

The drone strikes in Khartoum now raise fresh doubts about whether the army-backed government can restore stability to the capital or sustain its reconstruction drive, even as millions remain desperate to return home.