Belarusian Ilyushin Il-76TD cargo plane was blown up in Sudan
KHARTOUM, SUDAN — A Belarusian cargo plane Ilyushin Il-76TD of the Belarusian Belcanto Airlines was blown up at the airport in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. This is revealed by new satellite photos of the Maxar company.
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The satellite photos are from April 17th. This is just two days after armed clashes broke out in Sudan amid a conflict within the military Council of Generals, which runs the country until elections. The conflict is between the first and second senior officers leading the Council of Generals – these are General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.
The Belarusian plane, according to Russian sources, has the serial number EW-576TH. According to various sources, between 7 and 14 total aircraft at the airport have been destroyed so far. However, it is not clear whether this number includes the Egyptian MiG-29s. BulgarianMilitary.com recalls that at least one MiG-29 was completely destroyed, and at least two MiG-29s were damaged, without knowing the extent of their damage.
Also, the fate of the two MiG-29s parked in the Egyptian Air Force hangar remains unclear. According to satellite images, the hangar was hit by a bomb right where the fighters were supposed to be parked.
The Belarusian plane in question arrived in Sudan two days before the conflict. There is still no definitive information on how the Belarusian cargo plane was destroyed. A comment from Belcanto Airlines is expected soon. A comment on this plane is also expected from the Sudanese authorities.
Belcanto Airlines
Belcanto Airlines is a cargo company with cargo aircraft. Its destinations are almost all over the world. The company operates international flights almost every week. The most common equipment is precisely the Ilyushin Il-76TD aircraft model. With them, the company transports various types of cargo. This also includes cargo that is classified as oversized, bulk, and heavy. Belcanto Airlines fulfills orders from public and private customers.
What is happening in Sudan?
This is not the first coup in the African country. The last coup happened just a few months ago – October 2021. Then the country began to be governed by several Sudanese generals forming a Council of Generals. At this council, a dispute arose between two generals, a dispute which would lead to the events of today.
The conflict arises at the moment when there is a proposal for Sudan to begin to exist under civilian rule. I.e. The Council of Generals to be dissolved, after holding civil elections.
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is one party to the dispute. In reality, he is the commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces or SAF. According to this logic, at the moment he is considered the “president” of Sudan. General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo is the deputy of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. However, General Dagalo is the commander of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces [RSF].
At the heart of the dispute is what form the RSF will take. In recent days, redistribution of RSF has started in different parts of the country. General Dagalo and his soldiers see this as a threat to the existence of the RSF as the country’s defining military unit. Sometime on Saturday morning, the first gun goes off. Who and where this happens remains unknown. But this is how the conflict in Sudan begins.
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