19 people were killed when a Sudanese military transport plane crashed into a residential area on the outskirts of Khartoum, the army-aligned health ministry confirmed on Wednesday.
The Antonov aircraft went down on Tuesday night near Wadi Seidna Air Base, a major Sudanese military hub in Omdurman, northwest of the capital.
The Sudanese army, which has been locked in a violent conflict with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023, stated that the plane crashed during takeoff, resulting in fatalities among both military personnel and civilians.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing damaged homes in the area. The crash also triggered power outages in nearby neighborhoods.
“Search efforts are still ongoing to find the remaining martyrs under the rubble,” the health ministry said in a statement.
While initial reports from pro-democracy activists suggested that 10 people had died, the health ministry confirmed the toll had risen to 19. Emergency teams rushed injured civilians, including children, to a nearby hospital for treatment.
A military source, speaking anonymously to AFP, attributed the crash to a technical malfunction but did not provide further details.
Tensions Escalate With RSF
The crash occurred just a day after the RSF claimed responsibility for shooting down a Russian-made Ilyushin aircraft over Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. The RSF said they destroyed the plane with its crew onboard.
These incidents signal an escalation in the nearly two-year-long conflict between Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
Once allies, Burhan and Daglo have now become bitter rivals, plunging Sudan into what the United Nations describes as one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent history.
The conflict has led to tens of thousands of deaths, mass displacement of civilians, severe destruction of major cities, including Khartoum, and the collapse of critical infrastructure.
Despite recent army advances in central Sudan and Khartoum, the war shows no signs of resolution, leaving millions in desperate humanitarian conditions.
