Reported drone strike damages substation and fuel depot in Al Manaqil, Sudan
Oct 2026Published 3 Nov 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
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What happened
In the early hours of Wednesday 28 October 2026, drones reportedly attacked the city of Al Manaqil in Sudan's Al Jazirah State. Footage circulating online showed a fire at a fuel depot. Misbar compared Sentinel-2 satellite images from 23 and 28 October and said the 28 October image showed signs of fire at the depot and at the Al Manaqil transmission substation that were not visible on 23 October. It said these were likely to have resulted from the attack, and that the images do not establish who carried out the attack.
Citing local sources reported by Sudan Tribune, the drones reportedly targeted the Al Manaqil power station, a fuel distribution station and a fuel depot. The BBC reportedly quoted sources as saying the strike hit the main transformer at the electricity supply station and damaged fuel stocks at the Al Karimat Petroleum Depot and the Al Mithaq fuel station. The attacks were reported to have caused power outages across the city and surrounding areas.
Civil defence teams were reported to have extinguished the fires. No casualties were reported. Sudanese authorities accused the Rapid Support Forces of carrying out the attacks. The group has neither claimed responsibility nor commented. The duration of the outages and the extent of the damage have not been reported.
Contributing factors
Sudanese authorities attribute the attack to the Rapid Support Forces, which has not claimed it. The attack was reported as part of an escalation of drone attacks on power stations and substations in several Sudanese states in October 2026. The Emergency Lawyers Association said 13 electricity stations had been targeted during October. The satellite images do not establish who carried out the attack.
Lessons learned
- Substations and transformers in conflict zones may be exposed to aerial attack, so operators should assess threats to critical equipment and plan for the loss of a main transformer.
- Fuel depots close to electrical substations can compound a single attack, so separation distances and fire barriers should be reviewed.
- Before and after satellite imagery can help corroborate fire damage where site access is restricted, so operators should keep baseline imagery of critical sites.
More lessons on spacing, layout and fire spread, from every incident on the register.
Source
Other entries that name Manaqil
Published 2026-11-03. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
