(MENAFN) A Sudanese military cargo aircraft has crashed in West Kordofan state, killing all crew members, the army has reported. In a contrasting account, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claimed it shot down an army “warplane.”

The crash occurred on Tuesday while the plane was delivering supplies to troops in the besieged city of Babanusa, where Sudanese forces are engaged in combat with the RSF, according to an army statement.

The army said the aircraft experienced “a technical malfunction in the right engine,” which caused it to lose balance and ignite after it had “successfully completed a landing operation.” The statement did not specify the number of personnel on board.

In a separate statement, the RSF asserted it had downed an “Ilyushin warplane” over Babanusa after it “launched airstrikes that killed dozens of civilians” across multiple areas in West Kordofan. The paramilitary group shared a video of the burning wreckage on its Telegram channel but offered no further proof.

Local outlet Sudan Tribune reported that the RSF has sought to capture Babanusa since its initial assault in January 2024.

Late last month, the RSF seized Al-Fashir, the capital of North Darfur and the headquarters of the Sudanese Army’s Sixth Infantry Division, following an 18-month siege marked by starvation and heavy bombardment.

The Sudan Doctors’ Union has reported more than 2,200 deaths and 390,000 people displaced during the Al-Fashir offensive. The UN Security Council has condemned the attack, urging the RSF to comply with a 2024 resolution demanding an end to the siege and a de-escalation of regional hostilities.

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