By Micah Jonah
January 13, 2026
Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) reportedly killed 27 people in a drone attack on an army base in the southeastern city of Sinja, a military source told Al Jazeera.
The attack coincided with the government’s announcement that forces aligned with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) would return to Khartoum, three years after relocating to Port Sudan.
The drone strike targeted government leaders, security teams, and civilians accompanying them. Reports indicate 13 to 73 people were wounded. White Nile state governor Qamar al-Din Fadl al-Mawla was present and survived, though two colleagues were killed.
Sinja, the capital of Sennar state, is a key route to Khartoum and hosts the SAF’s 17th Infantry Division, the apparent target of the attack. RSF adviser Al-Basha Tibiq said the strike was a warning to military leaders.
Despite the assault, a government spokesperson stated the army’s anti-aircraft defenses repelled the attack, and life in the city has returned to normal.
Sudan’s civil war, now in its third year, has displaced 13.6 million people and pushed 21 million toward starvation, creating one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. The SAF continues operations to retake Kordofan and Darfur regions from the RSF.
