Sudanese military cargo plane crashes near Port Sudan, all crew died

(MENAFN) A Sudanese IL-76 military transport aircraft went down on Tuesday to the west of Port Sudan, killing its entire crew, according to general local reports. The plane, belonging to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), was said to be approaching the Osman Digna airbase when a sudden technical failure caused it to crash.

One source, speaking anonymously in accounts shared by local media, dismissed any possibility that the aircraft had been brought down by hostile fire. Another source, cited in international reporting, stated that “all members of the crew were killed in the air crash,” though officials have not released the number of personnel on board.

The SAF has yet to provide an official explanation or confirm the identities of those who died, continuing a pattern of limited public information surrounding recent military aviation incidents in the country’s ongoing civil conflict.

This latest crash adds to a series of similar tragedies. In November, another Sudanese military cargo plane went down in West Kordofan, killing the crew. That aircraft was reportedly ferrying supplies to government forces engaged in clashes with the RSF in Babanusa. Military officials at the time attributed the incident to a technical issue, while the RSF insisted it had downed the “warplane” and circulated images of the debris.

Across the border, South Sudan has also experienced recent losses. A plane contracted to deliver food aid for a humanitarian organization was destroyed when it crashed roughly 20 kilometers from the Leer Airstrip after departing Juba with two tons of assistance for flood-displaced communities. All three crew members died, according to general reports.

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