A military plane thought to be carrying two Russian crew was downed by Sudanese paramilitary rebels.

Fighters from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said they had used an anti-aircraft missile to shoot down a government cargo jet in the western North Darfur state.

However, the attack appears to be a case of mistaken identity as evidence from the crash site suggests the plane was linked to an effort by the United Arab Emirates to arm the rebels in the civil war.

Video footage from the crash site appeared to show identity documents including a Russian passport and an ID that linked back to a UAE-based company.