Sudan Drone Strike Kills Dozens; Lebanon Welcomes U.S. Flight Ban Lift

A drone strike in Sudan killed at least 40 people, including children, according to Emergency Lawyers, a group that monitors the conflict. The attack, which occurred Friday along the border with Ethiopia in Sudan’s Blue Nile province, was attributed to the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group engaged in a protracted battle with Sudan’s military.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs expressed dismay over the strike. The ongoing conflict in Sudan, which began in 2023, has resulted in at least 150,000 deaths, according to the conflict monitor ACLED, though aid organizations suggest the actual toll may be higher.

In separate developments, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for four strikes on Sanaa International Airport in the Yemeni capital on Saturday. The Houthis’ media center accused Saudi Arabia of the attack, though no further details were provided. These incidents occurred amidst intensified fighting between Houthi forces and Yemen’s government troops along the Red Sea coast, with Saudi Arabia offering air support to its allies.

Saudi authorities have not immediately responded to requests for comment. Earlier, on Thursday, attacks by Houthi rebels on Riyadh’s airport reportedly damaged three aircraft, according to two regional officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. The General Authority of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia confirmed on Friday that three Saudi citizens were killed and several others wounded in the attacks. Air traffic was further disrupted on Friday evening when another Houthi missile targeted the airport, causing numerous flight diversions.

The spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, stated that forces had destroyed 136 military targets in Houthi-controlled areas within Yemen, aiming to dismantle the rebel militia's ballistic missile network. The Associated Press could not independently verify these claims. The fighting in Yemen has escalated, with the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemeni government forces in an effort to counter Houthi advances.

In a notable diplomatic development, the Lebanese presidency announced Saturday the official lifting of flight restrictions between Lebanon and the United States. Direct flights had been suspended by the Reagan administration in 1985 following the hijacking of TWA Flight 847. President Joseph Aoun of Lebanon welcomed the decision, viewing it as a sign of U.S. confidence in Lebanon’s enhanced civil aviation safety measures. This move follows significant weakening of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group due to recent conflicts with Israel.

Meanwhile, health officials in Gaza reported that Israeli strikes on Saturday killed four people in western Gaza City and one person in the eastern part of the city. An Israeli military official confirmed that strikes were conducted in those areas targeting militants. These strikes occurred one year after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, yet Israeli forces continue near-daily strikes in the region. The Health Ministry in Gaza reports that over 1,480 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire.