(MENAFN) A Sudanese army cargo plane crashed late Tuesday in West Kordofan state, southern Sudan, after suffering a technical malfunction, according to military reports. The right wing of the aircraft reportedly failed, causing a loss of balance and igniting a fire before it went down tens of kilometers west of army positions.

The plane had been on a mission to airdrop supplies to army units stationed in the besieged city of Babanusa, where clashes with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are ongoing. All crew members aboard were killed, though the military did not provide a specific number.

Earlier, the RSF claimed responsibility for downing a Sudanese military aircraft in retaliation for alleged attacks on its forces in the region. In recent days, the army has been carrying out repeated supply drops to sustain its troops in Babanusa, which has been under heavy RSF assault.

West, North, and South Kordofan states have recently seen intense confrontations between the army and RSF. The rebel group also captured El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, on Oct. 26, reportedly carrying out massacres of civilians, raising concerns that the takeover could solidify a geographic division in the conflict-ridden nation.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a civil war between the army and the RSF, resulting in thousands of deaths, the displacement of millions, and one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.

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