The United Arab Emirates rejected on Thursday an announcement from Sudan's armed forces saying they had destroyed an Emirati plane ferrying Colombian mercenaries into the country to back paramilitary rivals.

Sudan has been locked in a war between its army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, with the military long accusing Abu Dhabi of supporting the RSF -- an allegation it denies.

On Wednesday, army-aligned state TV said Sudan's air force struck an Emirati plane as it landed at an RSF-controlled airport in the war-torn Darfur region, killing 40 Colombian soldiers for hire.

A UAE official told AFP that the "unfounded allegations" were "entirely false" and not supported by any evidence.

The official dismissed the latest claims as part of Sudan's "ongoing campaign

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