By Enyichukwu Enemanna
At least 46 people have been killed and 10 others injured after a Sudanese military plane crashed in a residential neighbourhood in Omdurman, near the capital, Khartoum, state media reported.
The aircraft, a Russian-built Antonov, went down shortly after taking off from the military’s Wadi Seidna air base on Tuesday evening.
Both military personnel and civilians were among the dead. While the exact cause of the crash remains unknown, military sources suggested it may have been due to a technical failure.
A day earlier, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been at war with the Sudanese army over political control since April 2023, claimed to have downed a fighter jet in South Darfur.
The ongoing conflict has devastated Khartoum, leaving thousands dead and displacing approximately 12 million people. The United Nations has described it as the world’s largest humanitarian disaster.
The health ministry confirmed that emergency teams were deployed to rescue survivors, including children, who were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment late Tuesday.
Reuters quoted unnamed military sources stating that a senior army commander in Khartoum was among those killed.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion, and several homes were damaged when the plane came down, AFP news agency said.
The war has divided Sudan, with the army controlling the north and east, while the RSF holds most of Darfur in the west and parts of the south.
Several mediation efforts to end the war have failed, as the army remains unwilling to negotiate with the RSF.
