Sudan aims anti-aircraft fire at 'target' near capital

Sudanese anti-aircraft crews opened fire on an aerial "target" near Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman, a military spokesman said on Wednesday, after witnesses reported hearing explosions in the area.

Air defence forces at Omdurman's Wadi Sayidna military area "confronted a lit-up target late yesterday (Tuesday) evening, showing their vigilance and readiness to repulse any enemy target," Colonel Al-Sawarmy Khaled Saad said in a statement.

The military gave no further details of what the aircraft was, whether it had been downed in the incident or where it was exactly when crews opened fire.

Saad said "the situation was under full control" and that an investigation had been launched.

He also denied rumours of "an attempted coup, military clashes or a foreign attack" that circulated on Sudanese social media after the incident.

Witnesses in Omdurman said they heard loud explosions from outside the city late on Tuesday. The area is home to several military installations.

A resident of the city's Wad al-Bakhit neighbourhood told AFP they had heard several loud blasts.

"When we heard the noise from the explosion, the walls of our house shook and the blast was repeated four times," the resident said on condition of anonymity.

Khartoum has accused Israel of launching strikes on targets in Sudan several times in recent years, although Israel refuses to comment on the claims.
Source: AFP