El Fasher airport attack (2003)

On the morning of 25 April 2003, around 33 rebel land cruisers entered the El Fasher airport. The attack, which was conducted by joint SLA and JEM forces, quickly overrun the airport as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) weren't prepared for a full-scale attack.^[4] According to the government, the attack destroyed four Antonov bombers while the rebels claimed to have destroyed seven.^[5] The rebels managed to control the airport for a few hours before retreating. The rebels killed around 75 soldiers and took 35 soldiers as prisoners.^[6] According to the rebels only 9 rebels were killed but the government claimed to have killed around 20 rebels.^[7][8]

After the attack the Government of Sudan (GOS) and memebrs of the Popular Defence Front (PDF) agreed to ramp up the counter insurgency campaign against the rebels.^[9] The counter insurgency campaign was conducted by proxy militias with the support of Sudanese air and ground forces.^[10] In late April 2003 Government funded Janjaweed forces conducted attacks targeting the Masalit killing around 55 people.^[11] The attack on El Fasher is considered the start of the Darfur Genocide as attacks and raids by Janjaweed forces ramped up significantly after the airport attack.^[12] The counter-insurgency attacks resulted in the deaths of around 300,000 civilians and dispalcement of 2 million Sudanese.^[13]