46 people killed as Sudanese military aircraft crashes into residential area

The base is one of the army’s largest military hubs in Omdurman, northwest of the capital Khartoum.

Local media sources cited by AP said the aircraft was headed to Red Sea city of Port Sudan, the headquarters of the military-backed government. The military has not confirmed or denied reports that the aircraft was carrying high-ranking military officers.

“After a final tally, the number of martyrs reached 46, with 10 injured,” the Khartoum regional government’s media office said in a statement.

The army-aligned health ministry said that emergency rescue personnel rushed injured civilians, including children, to a nearby hospital.

A military source told AFP on the condition of anonymity that a technical malfunction may have caused the military transport aircraft to crash.

Residents described hearing a loud explosion and saw a thick smoke after the accident and several homes were seen damaged. The crash also led to power outages in the neighbourhood.

Sudan civil war

Sudan has been ravaged by a civil war between the military and a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Tensions between the two escalated into a full-blown fighting in 2023.

The RSF, which controls most areas in the western Darfur region, said it downed a military aircraft on Monday in Nyala city.

The fighting has damaged urban areas and witnessed allegations of human rights abuses, including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings. Such violations, deemed as war crimes and crimes against humanity by the United Nations, has been reported from the western Darfur region.

In recent months, the military has made advances against the RSF in capital Khartoum and other areas.