Military plane crashes after takeoff, multiple casualties

A tragedy has struck on the outskirts of Khartoum. According to the Sudanese army, 46 people died in the plane crash, including many officers and civilians. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, and the causes of the accident are being investigated, although the AFP agency has unofficially determined that the military reported technical problems with the aircraft.

An Antonov military plane crashed on Tuesday evening near the Wadi Seidna air base, one of the army's largest military centers in Omdurman, northwest of the capital.

The army, which has been at war with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023, said the plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 46 people and injuring another 10 .

As reported by the AP agency, the accident destroyed "a number of buildings". In turn, military sources - in an interview with the French AFP - indicate that the cause of the Antonov plane accident was a technical failure .

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The tragic incident occurred just a dozen or so hours after the RSF admitted to shooting down a Russian Ilyushin plane over Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. The paramilitary militia reported that the plane was "destroyed" with its crew on board.

"The latest escalation of the conflict comes after significant advances by the army in central Sudan and the capital Khartoum in its multi-front offensive against the RSF," the AFP dispatch said.

The Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been at war since mid-April 2023. According to the UN and local authorities, the conflict has claimed the lives of more than 20,000 people and displaced 14 million people in the country . Research by experts from American universities estimates the death toll at around 130,000.