Within Sudan UFOs
When War Turns Lights Into Mysteries
Since Sudan's civil war began, many unidentified aerial reports are more likely to involve drones, air defense, aircraft, or debris.
On this page
- Why conflict changes sky sighting interpretation
- Drones and air defense ambiguity
- How to separate UFO claims from military activity
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Introduction
Since Sudan’s civil war expanded after April 2023, reports of strange lights, glowing objects, distant flashes, and unidentified aircraft have become much harder to interpret than they were during earlier decades. In many cases, what civilians describe as a “mysterious object” now exists in an airspace crowded with military drones, anti-aircraft fire, missiles, reconnaissance aircraft, electronic warfare, and burning infrastructure. The result is not necessarily more UFO activity. It is a sky environment where ordinary observers often lack the information needed to identify what they are seeing.
This shift matters when evaluating modern Sudanese UFO-style reports. A light over Khartoum or Port Sudan in 2025 is being observed under very different conditions from a similar sighting in peacetime. Military secrecy, disrupted communications, propaganda, and the rapid spread of videos on social media can all turn a conventional military event into an apparent mystery. Understanding modern unidentified lights over Sudan therefore requires understanding the war itself and how drone warfare has changed what appears in the night sky. [Sky News]news.sky.comNews Sudan shows how the nature of war is changingSky NewsSudan shows how the nature of war is changingMarch 11, 2026 — 12 Mar 2026 — Drone warfare has made Sudan's war a death trap for a…
When conflict changes what people think they saw
In peaceful conditions, an unusual aerial sighting might be compared against aircraft schedules, astronomical events, satellite passes, or meteor reports. Wartime Sudan often lacks those reference points.
Large areas of the country have experienced communication blackouts, disrupted media coverage, and rapidly changing front lines. Witnesses may observe a distant aerial event without knowing whether nearby forces are operating drones, launching air-defence missiles, or conducting strikes. In some regions, the same event may be described in different ways by different communities depending on which armed group controls local information networks.
This uncertainty does not mean witnesses are unreliable. It means that the environment in which observations occur has become far more complex. A glowing object can be genuinely unidentified to the observer while still having a conventional explanation that becomes clear only after military or technical information emerges.
Sudan’s modern sky-sighting environment resembles patterns seen in other active conflict zones. Civilians often report:
- Bright lights hovering for long periods.
- Flashing objects moving silently at night.
- Multiple lights appearing in formation.
- Sudden fireballs or descending objects.
- Explosions followed by glowing debris.
- Tracer fire aimed at apparently unknown targets.
Each of these can potentially involve military drones, surveillance systems, interceptors, or damaged aircraft rather than unexplained craft. [Sky News]news.sky.comNews Sudan shows how the nature of war is changingSky NewsSudan shows how the nature of war is changingMarch 11, 2026 — 12 Mar 2026 — Drone warfare has made Sudan's war a death trap for a… [New Lines Magazine]newlinesmag.comdrones are reshaping sudans civil warNew Lines MagazineDrones Are Reshaping Sudan's Civil War13 May 2026 — The imported devices have turned the country's conflict into a camp…
Drones transformed Sudan’s skies
One of the most important developments in the war has been the rapid expansion of drone operations by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Analysts, humanitarian organisations, journalists, and conflict-monitoring groups have documented a sharp increase in drone strikes across Sudan from 2024 onward. What began as a conflict dominated by artillery, aircraft, and ground combat increasingly evolved into a war involving long-range unmanned systems capable of reaching cities previously considered relatively safe. Sudan Tribune [Sky News]news.sky.comNews Sudan shows how the nature of war is changingSky NewsSudan shows how the nature of war is changingMarch 11, 2026 — 12 Mar 2026 — Drone warfare has made Sudan's war a death trap for a…
For civilians, drones create a new category of aerial mystery because they often differ from familiar aircraft in several ways:
- They can fly slowly and quietly.
- Navigation lights may be absent or difficult to see.
- They may appear stationary at long distances.
- Thermal signatures can produce unusual visual effects at night.
- Multiple drones can operate simultaneously.
- Observers may hear them only after they become visible.
A person unfamiliar with military drone operations may reasonably interpret such behaviour as unusual or unknown. In a conflict zone, however, unusual does not automatically mean anomalous.
Reports from humanitarian organisations and conflict researchers show that drone attacks now occur across multiple Sudanese regions, extending far beyond the initial battle zones around Khartoum. This expansion means that sightings once considered rare are becoming part of everyday wartime experience. [Sudan Tribune]sudantribune.comSudan TribuneSudan drone warfare kills thousands as both sides secure…17 Feb 2026 — The war in Sudan during 2024 and 2025 has seen a r… [ReliefWeb]reliefweb.intdrone strikes repeatedly hit civilian areas sudanDrone strikes repeatedly hit civilian areas in Sudan19 Feb 2026 — After drone strikes on November 3 in North Darfur, MSF was forced to wi…
Port Sudan and the rise of distant lights
Port Sudan offers a useful example of how modern warfare can generate UFO-like reports.
For much of the conflict, the city functioned as Sudan’s administrative and humanitarian centre after government institutions relocated away from Khartoum. Because it was comparatively distant from the earliest front lines, many residents were not accustomed to regular air attacks. [Crisis Group]crisisgroup.orgCrisis GroupDrone Attacks on Port Sudan Mark Dramatic Escalation7 May 2025 — For three consecutive days, from 4-6 May, drone attacks shoo…
The situation changed dramatically during the drone attacks of May 2025. Repeated strikes targeted infrastructure including airports, fuel facilities, military sites, and other strategic locations. Residents reported explosions, fires, aerial interceptions, and objects moving through the night sky over several consecutive days. [European External Action Service]eeas.europa.euThe EU unequivocally condemns the RSF's use of drone strikes against civilian and key targets.Read more… [Crisis Group]crisisgroup.orgCrisis GroupDrone Attacks on Port Sudan Mark Dramatic Escalation7 May 2025 — For three consecutive days, from 4-6 May, drone attacks shoo… [Wikipedia From a UFO-analysis perspective]Wikipedia2025 East Sudan drone attacks2025 East Sudan drone attacks, these conditions are significant because they create several sources of visual confusion:
- Long-range drones may appear only as distant lights.
- Interceptors can leave bright streaks or flashes.
- Fuel depot fires can illuminate clouds and smoke.
- Explosions may be visible far beyond the strike zone.
- Falling debris can resemble descending craft.
In such circumstances, videos showing “mysterious lights” often require military context before any judgement can be made about what was actually observed.
Why anti-aircraft fire creates false mysteries
Another factor affecting modern Sudanese sightings is the increasing presence of air-defence activity.
When forces attempt to shoot down drones, civilians may witness events that look highly unusual without understanding the underlying engagement. Anti-aircraft fire can produce:
- Bright tracer streams.
- Intermittent flashes.
- Apparent zigzag motion caused by perspective.
- Multiple simultaneous light sources.
- Sudden bursts of illumination.
The human eye is particularly vulnerable to misjudging speed, distance, and direction at night. A drone being engaged several kilometres away can appear far larger or stranger than it actually is.
Several reported attacks on Sudanese cities involved claims that drones were intercepted by air-defence systems before reaching their targets. Residents observing only part of these engagements might see lights manoeuvring or exploding without any clear understanding of the military activity taking place. [AP News]apnews.comThis latest incident underscores the ongoing conflict between Sudan's army and the RSF, which began in April 2023 and has now entered its…
This is one reason modern conflict zones often generate reports that initially sound extraordinary but later prove consistent with known military operations.
Social media accelerates unidentified-light stories
A major difference between Sudan’s recent war and earlier periods is the speed at which images and rumours circulate.
Videos of distant lights, explosions, aircraft, or suspected drones frequently appear online before independent verification is possible. Context may be missing, locations may be uncertain, and clips may be reposted far from their original source.
This information environment creates several problems:
Events are fragmented.
A witness may record only a few seconds of a longer military engagement.
Location data may disappear.
Reposted footage often loses the details needed for verification.
Competing narratives emerge immediately.
Different political factions may promote conflicting explanations.
Military secrecy fills the gaps.
Neither side necessarily confirms operational details quickly.
Investigative projects focused on Sudan increasingly rely on geolocation, satellite imagery, and open-source intelligence techniques to reconstruct events that would otherwise remain unclear. Those methods are often more useful than eyewitness testimony alone when assessing alleged unidentified aerial phenomena in wartime conditions. [Facebook]facebook.comFacebookThe 𝗦𝘂𝗱𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝘂𝗯…The Sudan Digital Investigation Hub is now live. The new online platform supports investig…
Separating UFO claims from military activity
The most useful question in modern Sudan is often not “Was it a UFO?” but “What evidence exists that it was not a known military or aerospace event?”
Several indicators favour a conventional explanation.
Signs pointing toward military activity
A sighting becomes more likely to involve drones, aircraft, missiles, or air-defence systems when:
- It occurs near active combat zones.
- Similar reports emerge during known military operations.
- Explosions or fires follow the observation.
- Multiple witnesses describe engine sounds.
- The object appears on videos alongside tracer fire.
- The timing matches documented attacks.
These factors do not identify the object with certainty, but they increase the probability of a conventional explanation.
Signs that keep a case genuinely unresolved
A report remains difficult to evaluate when:
- There is no confirmed military activity nearby.
- Multiple independent observers provide consistent descriptions.
- Images or videos are available from different angles.
- Timing and location can be verified.
- No known aircraft, drone, launch, or astronomical event fits the observation.
Even then, unresolved is not the same as extraordinary. It may simply mean that evidence is incomplete.
The lesson from Sudan’s modern sky
Sudan’s recent experience demonstrates how warfare can manufacture aerial mysteries without requiring exotic explanations.
The country’s best-known modern unidentified-light case—the 2018 Khartoum sighting later linked to SpaceX’s Zuma mission—showed how a dramatic sky event can appear extraordinary until aerospace evidence provides an explanation. The civil war has multiplied the number of situations in which similar misunderstandings can occur. Military drones, air-defence interceptions, long-range strikes, burning infrastructure, and fragmented information flows now generate conditions where unusual lights are frequently seen but rarely understood in real time. [Crisis Group]crisisgroup.orgCrisis GroupDrone Attacks on Port Sudan Mark Dramatic Escalation7 May 2025 — For three consecutive days, from 4-6 May, drone attacks shoo… [Sudan]reliefweb.intdrone strikes repeatedly hit civilian areas sudanDrone strikes repeatedly hit civilian areas in Sudan19 Feb 2026 — After drone strikes on November 3 in North Darfur, MSF was forced to wi…
For researchers examining UFO claims in Sudan, the key challenge is therefore not proving that witnesses saw nothing. It is determining whether an observation occurred within a wartime environment already capable of producing the same visual effects through known technology. As drone warfare spreads across more of the country, that question becomes increasingly important whenever a new unidentified light appears over Sudanese skies.
Amazon book picks
Further Reading
Books and field guides related to When War Turns Lights Into Mysteries. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
Skunk Works
Shows how advanced aircraft and secret military projects generate mystery sightings.
Drone Warfare
Directly relevant to identifying wartime aerial activity in modern conflicts.
The Pentagon's Brain
Provides context on secret programs and defense technologies often linked to UFO claims.
Endnotes
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Source: news.sky.com
Title: News Sudan shows how the nature of war is changing
Link: https://news.sky.com/story/sudan-shows-how-the-nature-of-war-is-changing-and-its-a-death-trap-for-civilians-13518316Source snippet
Sky NewsSudan shows how the nature of war is changingMarch 11, 2026 — 12 Mar 2026 — Drone warfare has made Sudan's war a death trap for a...
Published: March 11, 2026
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Source: reliefweb.int
Title: drone strikes repeatedly hit civilian areas sudan
Link: https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/drone-strikes-repeatedly-hit-civilian-areas-sudanSource snippet
Drone strikes repeatedly hit civilian areas in Sudan19 Feb 2026 — After drone strikes on November 3 in North Darfur, MSF was forced to wi...
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Source: reliefweb.int
Title: acaps thematic report sudan risk continued drone strikes port sudan
Link: https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/acaps-thematic-report-sudan-risk-continued-drone-strikes-port-sudanSource snippet
Risk of continued drone strikes on Port Sudan23 May 2025 — On 4 May 2025, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a series of drone strik...
Published: May 2025
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: 2025 East Sudan drone attacks
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_East_Sudan_drone_attacks -
Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/thomsonfoundation/posts/the-%F0%9D%97%A6%F0%9D%98%82%F0%9D%97%B1%F0%9D%97%AE%F0%9D%97%BB-%F0%9D%97%97%F0%9D%97%B6%F0%9D%97%B4%F0%9D%97%B6%F0%9D%98%81%F0%9D%97%AE%F0%9D%97%B9-%F0%9D%97%9C%F0%9D%97%BB%F0%9D%98%83%F0%9D%97%B2%F0%9D%98%80%F0%9D%98%81%F0%9D%97%B6%F0%9D%97%B4%F0%9D%97%AE%F0%9D%98%81%F0%9D%97%B6%F0%9D%97%BC%F0%9D%97%BB-%F0%9D%97%9B%F0%9D%98%82%F0%9D%97%AF-is-now-live-the-new-online-platform-supports/1372465021581435/Source snippet
FacebookThe 𝗦𝘂𝗱𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝘂𝗯...The Sudan Digital Investigation Hub is now live. The new online platform supports investig...
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Title: Civilian casualty
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_casualtySource snippet
Civilian casualty - WikipediaArmed drones leading cause of civilian death in Sudan war...
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Five people were killed on Saturday after a drone strike hit...ALL EYES ON SUDAN December 14, 2025 At least nine Sudanese civilians have...
Published: December 14, 2025
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In an exclusive report, CNN's Nada Bashir in collaboration...A Sky News joint investigation with Sudan War Monitor and Lighthouse Reports...
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base and other facilities near Port Sudan's airport, the...Read more...
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litary air base and other facilities near Port Sudan's airport...Read more...
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Title: drone strikes intensified across sudan in 2025 from january through november acl
Link: https://www.facebook.com/ACLEDINFO/posts/drone-strikes-intensified-across-sudan-in-2025-from-january-through-november-acl/1295077769305867/Source snippet
26 Dec 2025 — Drone strikes intensified across #Sudan in 2025. From January through November, ACLED records 47% more drone strikes than i...
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Title: sudan ingos sound alarm drone strikes devastate civilians and civilian objects
Link: https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-ingos-sound-alarm-drone-strikes-devastate-civilians-and-civilian-objectsSource snippet
more...
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Sudan army says UAE and Ethiopia linked to Khartoum drone attack...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Sudan army says UAE and Ethiopia linked to Khartoum drone attack
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPe8XUF86PMSource snippet
Drone Attacks Shatter Months of Relative Calm in Sudan's Capital Khartoum | GRAVITAS...
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Link: https://sudantribune.com/article/310795Source snippet
Sudan TribuneSudan drone warfare kills thousands as both sides secure...17 Feb 2026 — The war in Sudan during 2024 and 2025 has seen a r...
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Source: newlinesmag.com
Title: drones are reshaping sudans civil war
Link: https://newlinesmag.com/reportage/drones-are-reshaping-sudans-civil-war/Source snippet
New Lines MagazineDrones Are Reshaping Sudan's Civil War13 May 2026 — The imported devices have turned the country's conflict into a camp...
Published: May 2026
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Title: sudan sharp increase civilian deaths result growing drone warfare
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Sudan: Sharp increase in civilian deaths as a result of...24 Mar 2026 — A sharp increase in the use of drones to conduct airstrikes this...
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Source: crisisgroup.org
Link: https://www.crisisgroup.org/alr/africa/sudan/drone-attacks-port-sudan-mark-dramatic-escalationSource snippet
Crisis GroupDrone Attacks on Port Sudan Mark Dramatic Escalation7 May 2025 — For three consecutive days, from 4-6 May, drone attacks shoo...
Published: May 2025
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Source: eeas.europa.eu
Link: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/sudan-statement-spokesperson-attacks-port-sudan_enSource snippet
The EU unequivocally condemns the RSF's use of drone strikes against civilian and key targets.Read more...
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Source: apnews.com
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This latest incident underscores the ongoing conflict between Sudan's army and the RSF, which began in April 2023 and has now entered its...
Published: April 2023
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Source: sudantribune.com
Title: Sudanese army drone strike kills two in West Darfur4 days ago —
Link: https://sudantribune.com/article/313882Source snippet
May 13, 2026 (EL GENEINA) – At least two people were killed and several others injured on Tuesday following a drone strike, likely carrie...
Published: May 13, 2026
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Source: sudantribune.com
Title: RS F Drone Strike Kills Five Civilians South of Omdurman
Link: https://sudantribune.com/article/313428Source snippet
RSF Drone Strike Kills Five Civilians South of OmdurmanMay 2, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – At least five people were killed on Saturday when a drone...
Published: May 2, 2026
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Title: sudan drone strikes civilian targets north darfur market north kordofan truck
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/26/sudan-drone-strikes-civilian-targets-north-darfur-market-north-kordofan-truckSource snippet
Two drone strikes on civilian targets kill 28 people in Sudan26 Mar 2026 — At least 28 civilians have been killed in two separate drone s...
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Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O43uWS0BtpsSource snippet
able of hitting cities 1,200 km away and with precision...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwfLlExvMJ8Source snippet
Drones are now reportedly striking residential areas...
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Source: msf.org
Title: sudan strike hospitals results 10 fatalities including 7 medical staff
Link: https://www.msf.org/sudan-strike-hospitals-results-10-fatalities-including-7-medical-staffSource snippet
Sudan: Strike on hospitals results in 10 fatalities, including...2 Apr 2026 — On 2 April 2026, a drone attack reportedly carried out by...
Published: April 2026
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Sudan shows how the nature of war is changing12 Mar 2026 — ACLED, an independent global monitor, has documented at least 198 drone strike...
Additional References
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Source: doctorswithoutborders.org
Link: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/drone-strikes-repeatedly-hit-civilian-areas-sudanSource snippet
Drone strikes repeatedly hit civilian areas in SudanDrone attacks carried out by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces...
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Source: adf-magazine.com
Title: port sudan drone attacks could lead to broader regional war analysts warn
Link: https://adf-magazine.com/2025/06/port-sudan-drone-attacks-could-lead-to-broader-regional-war-analysts-warn/Source snippet
Port Sudan Drone Attacks Could Lead to Broader Regional...3 Jun 2025 — A kamikaze drone attack on Sudan's wartime capital, Port Sudan, i...
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Source: aljazeera.com
Title: drone strike plunges sudan major cities into darkness as civil war rages
Link: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/18/drone-strike-plunges-sudan-major-cities-into-darkness-as-civil-war-ragesSource snippet
Drone strike plunges Sudan major cities into darkness as...Dec 18, 2025 — Blackouts hit Khartoum and Port Sudan as intensifying drone wa...
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Source: africansecurityanalysis.com
Link: https://www.africansecurityanalysis.com/reports/escalating-drone-warfare-intensifies-sudan-conflictSource snippet
Escalating Drone Warfare Intensifies Sudan ConflictOn the morning of May 4, 2025, Port Sudan—the principal port city on the country's Red...
Published: May 4, 2025
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food shortages, with political analyst Sharif Muhammad Othman calling for...
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Title: risk of continued drone strikes on Port Sudan
Link: https://www.acaps.org/en/countries/archives/detail/sudan-risk-of-continued-drone-strikes-on-port-sudanSource snippet
ACAPS23 May 2025 — On 4 May 2025, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a series of drone strikes on Port Sudan, the administrative and...
Published: May 2025
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Title: European Union Agency for Asylum2.5.2
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europa.eu2.5.2. Conflict dynamics and tacticsIn late March 2024, the RSF, operating a drone-launching 'Special Task Battalion', reportedl...
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Africa File, May 8, 2025: Rsf Drone Strikes On Port Sudan8 May 2025 — The RSF launched drone attacks on Port Sudan daily from May 4 to 7...
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Drone War Comes For Civilians in Sudan: Sky News18 Mar 2026 — An RSF triple drone strike on a hospital and kindergarten killed 114 people...
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