• Khartoum International Airport is set to reopen after 30 months of closure.
• A series of drone strikes targeted areas near the airport just before reopening.
• The ongoing conflict between the army and RSF has resulted in significant casualties.

Sudan's Civil Aviation Authority has announced plans to reopen Khartoum International Airport for domestic flights beginning Wednesday, October 22, after a 30-month closure caused by the ongoing conflict. This decision follows the completion of "necessary technical and operational arrangements," marking a crucial milestone since the airport's shutdown in April 2023 due to fighting between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) according to aa.

However, the reopening is now under threat following a drone attack that struck near the airport on Tuesday morning, just one day before the planned resumption of operations. Eyewitnesses reported hearing multiple explosions and drones flying overhead, with local media claiming the RSF was behind the attack, which was described as an "apparent attempt to disrupt" the airport's reopening, according to aa and bbc.

The drone strikes have raised security concerns, as they come amid an unstable environment where the RSF has been accused of targeting both military and civilian infrastructure. Reports indicate there were multiple explosions in areas of central and southern Khartoum, and military forces successfully intercepted several drones, although some were able to strike their targets, according to africanews and aljazeera.

The conflict that has plagued Sudan since April 2023 has resulted in widespread devastation, with over 20,000 people reported dead and 14 million displaced. Some estimates suggest that the actual death toll could approach 130,000, highlighting the dire humanitarian situation exacerbated by such attacks, as noted by sources including aa, africanews, and bbc.