Sudan's military says one of its aircraft has crashed in the western Darfour region on Thursday evening, killing all 16 people on board.
The military says several officers were among those killed when the plane went down in the restless region of West Darfour, which has recently witnessed deadly ethnic clashes.
The plane, a Russian Antonov An-12, crashed five minutes after taking off from the airport in the town of Genena. That's according to an army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Amer Mohammed al-Hassan who posted a statement late Thursday on the official Facebook page of the Sudan's armed forces.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash. there were no immediate reports of foul play. Al-Hassan said the casualties included seven troops, three judges and six civilians, including two children.