Sudan has recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia after accusing Addis Ababa of a series of drone attacks that hit its international airport.

Sudan’s foreign minister, Mohi El-Din Salem, said in a statement on Tuesday that the ambassador would be recalled for consultations and that his country is “ready to enter into an open confrontation with Ethiopia”.

“The drones that attacked Sudanese facilities on Monday were launched from Ethiopia’s Bahir Dar Airport,” he said.

Sudan has the legal right to respond to the “aggression” in the manner it deems appropriate, he added.

“We do not seek to initiate aggression against any country, but whoever attacks us will be responded to,” stated Mr Salem.

For his part, Asim Awad Abdelwahab, spokesperson for the Sudanese Armed Forces, said in a statement that the armed forces “will respond twice as hard”.

He noted that the army has “confirmed information regarding Ethiopia’s participation in the aggression against Sudan.”

“Our armed forces are fully prepared to deal with any threat in a manner that preserves the dignity, sovereignty, and security of the nation,” he said.

The statements came after drone attacks targeted Khartoum International Airport and military sites in the capital on Monday, triggering explosions and sending plumes of smoke from various locations.

No casualties or damage were reported, according to the press office of Sudan’s Ministry of Culture and Information.

Authorities evacuated airport staff and decided to close the airport for 72 hours as a precautionary measure, the press office said, noting that air traffic would resume normally once routine procedures are completed.

The attacks also targeted the vicinity of the Signal Corps in Bahri, north of the capital, as well as the Al-Markhiyat camp north of Omdurman, with no confirmed information on the extent of losses.

Large parts of Sudan are seeing a notable increase in the use of drones in military operations, amid warnings of their growing impact on civilians.

Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces have been engaged in a war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions of people inside Sudan and abroad, according to international estimates.

(Xinhua/NAN)