What happened

Fighting at Khartoum International Airport on 15 April 2023 marked the first official attack of Sudan's civil war, as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured the airport in the opening hours of their assault on the capital. Satellite imagery analysis found roughly 20 aircraft were destroyed in the fighting, including a Saudia Airbus A330, multiple Boeing 737s, SkyUp Airlines and Badr Airlines aircraft, and Ilyushin and Antonov cargo planes; two civilians were killed at the airport. The RSF held the facility for approximately 23 months until withdrawing on 25 March 2025, after Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) advances toward Jabal Awliya cut its last supply route into the capital. This record introduces the opening event of Sudan's civil war to the site's airbase/airport-strike coverage, distinct from the separately recorded 4 May 2026 RSF drone strike on the same airport during SAF control.

When cited sources give different casualty, damage or spill figures for this event, they’re reported side by side above rather than merged into one number. See how confidence levels work.