Sudanese military helicopter crashes near Ethiopian border

A Sudanese military helicopter loed with weapons and ammunition crashed Wednesday shortly after taking off from an airport in an eastern province that borders Ethiopia, officials said.

Apache attack helicopter exploded after crashing at W Zayed airport in town of al-Showak in al-Qarif province, but three-person crew survived crash, Sudanese officials said.

y spoke on condition of anymity because y were t authorized to brief reporters.

cause of crash was t immediately clear.In past two months, Sudan’s military has deployed troops to border areas with Ethiopia and said it has reclaimed territories controlled by Ethiopian militias and farmers for many years.

Ethiopian and allied regional forces have been fighting Tigray regional forces since early vember and attacks over border into Sudan last month have strained ties between neighboring countries.

Tigray fighting has sent over 60,000 Ethiopian refugees into Sudan, mostly into al-Qarif province.

At least five Sudanese women and a child were killed in an attack Monday inside Sudan by Ethiopian militias, Sudanese foreign ministry said.

Sudan's state-run SUNA news ncy reported that helicopter crashed directly after taking off. report said plane hit ground and caught fire.Aircraft crashes are t uncommon in Sudan, which has a poor aviation safety record.

In January last year, a military plane, a Russian Antov An-12, crashed in restive West Darfur region, killing all 16 people on board, including two women and two children.In 2003, a civilian Sudan Airways plane crashed into a hillside while trying to make an emergency landing, killing 116 people, including eight foreigners. Only a small boy survived crash.

Wednesday's crash came as Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan was in al-Qarif to inspect troops stationed in border areas, military said.

(IM CREDITS:PTI)