Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, came under drone attack for the third consecutive day on Thursday, as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the city and its main airport, military officials and local media reported.

The assault came just a day after Badr Airlines operated the first passenger flight to Khartoum in two years, following extensive repairs to the war-damaged airport.

A military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said air defenses intercepted the drones before they could cause damage. Both the RSF and the Sudanese army have yet to issue statements on the incident.

The RSF has continued its campaign to pressure Sudan’s military as the country’s prolonged conflict — which began in 2023 when the two former allies turned against each other — shows little sign of resolution.

Although government forces recaptured Khartoum from the RSF in March, fighting has intensified across other regions, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan, where famine and displacement have reached catastrophic levels.

The United Nations and the International Organization for Migration on Thursday urged “urgent international attention on the crisis in Sudan,” calling for an immediate ceasefire, civilian protection, and unrestricted humanitarian access.

According to the World Health Organization, at least 40,000 people have been killed since the war began, while around 30 million now depend on humanitarian aid — making Sudan the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, has been under siege for more than a year, trapping an estimated 260,000 civilians.

“What I witnessed in Darfur and elsewhere this week is a stark reminder of what is at stake: children facing hunger, disease and the collapse of essential services,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban. “Entire communities are surviving in conditions that defy dignity,” he added.