Sudan says it shot down ‘hostile’ drone launched from Ethiopia

KHARTOUM — Sudan’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that its forces shot down a “hostile” drone that it said had entered the country from neighboring Ethiopia.The ministry said in a statement that the drone was launched from Ethiopian territory and was flying over Blue Nile state near the border town of Kurmuk when it was intercepted.There was no immediate comment from Ethiopian authorities on the Sudanese claim, and it was not immediately clear who operated the drone or what its intended target was.The incident comes amid continuing drone activity linked to Sudan’s war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).Earlier this month, the Sudanese army said it had shot down three FH-95 drones in North Kordofan state.Sudanese authorities and human rights groups have accused the RSF of using drones to target civilian infrastructure. Fighting between the army and the RSF has continued across several parts of the country, including Blue Nile, Darfur and the three Kordofan states, North, West and South Kordofan.Sudan has been engulfed in war since April 2023, with tens of thousands of people killed and around 13 million displaced, according to UN and international estimates.