Saudi plane attacked at Khartoum airport

This Saturday, a Saudi Airlines plane was shot down at Khartoum International Airport, which was about to fly to Riyadh, but the crew and passengers on board were evacuated and are safe, the airline said.

Saudi Airlines said in a statement that the crew is at the Saudi Arabian embassy in Sudan and that the passengers are all right, while the company ordered the return to the point of departure of all aircraft bound for Sudan due to clashes that began this Saturday morning between the Sudanese army and Armed Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group.

The shooting at the aircraft occurred at 07:00 local time (06:00 Lisbon), two hours before the start of fighting between the opposing forces.

General Abdelfatah al-Burhan, President of the Sovereign Council of Sudan and Commander of the Armed Forces, said in an interview with Al Jazeera this Saturday that “The Rapid Support Forces infiltrated the airport and burned several planes,” without specifying the companies. affected.

Egyptian airline Egyptair also announced on Twitter that it would temporarily suspend flights to Khartoum starting this Saturday and for 72 hours due to “the unstable security situation in Sudan.”

In mid-morning on Saturday, the RSF said they were in control of Khartoum International Airport, the largest in Sudan, a claim Al Burhan denied, adding that the army had the situation in the capital “under control”.

The clashes come two days after the army warned that the country was going through a “dangerous situation” that could lead to armed conflict after the RSF mobilized in the Sudanese capital and other cities without the consent or coordination of the military. .

This mobilization comes during negotiations to reach a final political agreement that will end the 2021 coup and lead Sudan to a democratic transition, a pact that has been delayed twice this month precisely because of tensions and rivalry between the army and the RSF. .