Military plane transporting Colombian mercenaries hired by Hemetti was reportedly taken down by Sudan's regular army forces
The Sudanese Air Force carried out a precise bombing on a cargo plane at Nyala Airport, Sudan, on August 6, 2023. The plane, which was transporting Colombian mercenaries and military equipment intended for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), was destroyed, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Sudan’s army and the RSF.
The attack took place amid intense conflict between Sudan’s regular army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, and the paramilitary RSF, which has controlled southern Darfur, including Nyala, since April 2023. Nyala Airport, a strategic hub, is reportedly used by the RSF as a supply point, including foreign mercenaries and advanced weapons, allegedly supplied through the United Arab Emirates (UAE) via this airport.
The bombing was a retaliatory strike by the Sudanese army aiming to disrupt foreign support to the RSF and weaken their military capabilities deep within enemy-controlled territory. The Sudanese army is reported to have been using intelligence services in their operations during the ongoing conflict. The operation targeting the cargo plane was planned for several weeks and occurred on the long runway east of Nyala.
The city of Nyala has been subject to bombings in recent months. The Sudanese government and army sources confirmed the attack and casualties, stressing the high death toll of mercenaries and destruction of weapons and equipment. The RSF has denied these claims, asserting that their control over Nyala Airport is secure and dismissing allegations of using foreign fighters as false. They also counter-accuse the army of employing foreign forces themselves.
The UAE denied involvement or supplying mercenaries, labeling the Sudanese accusations as unfounded disinformation. However, UN experts and satellite imagery have reportedly documented drone activity consistent with Khartoum’s claims. The strike highlights a deepening and more precise military capability of Sudan’s army to conduct attacks inside RSF-controlled areas, elevating the conflict’s intensity.
The attack may lead to further international scrutiny, increased diplomatic tensions in the Gulf region, and possible impacts on the dynamics of humanitarian and military aid in Sudan. The conflict continues to cause significant civilian harm and destabilization in Darfur and Sudan at large. The ongoing civil war, which has been ongoing for over two years between the Sudanese regular army and the RSF of General Hemetti, demonstrates the Sudanese army’s escalating efforts to target RSF supply lines and foreign mercenary involvement.
- The bombing of the cargo plane at Nyala Airport, carrying Colombian mercenaries and military equipment for the RSF, is a part of the escalating politics and general news of the war-and-conflicts in Sudan, as the Sudanese army aims to disrupt foreign support to the RSF and weaken their military capabilities.
- The Sudanese Air Force's attack on Nyala Airport, a strategic hub reportedly used by the RSF as a supply point, including foreign mercenaries and advanced weapons, is a significant event in the ongoing conflict between Sudan’s army and the RSF, which has been ongoing for over two years and has caused significant civilian harm and destabilization in Darfur and Sudan at large.
