<p>A passenger plane preparing to take off from Sudan for Saudi Arabia came under fire on Saturday as deadly fighting rocked Khartoum, the kingdom's flag carrier said.</p>.<p>The Airbus A330 bound for Saudi Arabia "was exposed to gunfire damage... with guests and crew on board" ahead of its scheduled departure to Riyadh, Saudia said in a statement.</p>.<p>"It has been confirmed that all members of the aircraft's cabin crew have safely arrived at the Saudi Embassy in Sudan," the statement said.</p>.<p>"Meanwhile aircraft flying over Sudan have returned and all other flights to and from Sudan have been suspended in order to preserve the safety of the guests and crew."</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/timeline-sudan-unrest-since-post-bashir-coup-1210010.html" target="_blank">Timeline: Sudan unrest since post-Bashir coup</a></strong></p>.<p>Clashes broke out on Saturday between Sudan's army and paramilitaries, and the doctors' union reported three civilian deaths, including at Khartoum's airport in the city centre.</p>.<p>The Saudia statement did not mention any casualties in the incident involving its aircraft.</p>.<p>The paramilitaries said they were in control of the airport as well as the presidential place, claims denied by the army.</p>.<p>The eruption of violence came after weeks of deepening tensions between military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his number two, paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, over the planned integration of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the regular army.</p>.<p>That was a key element of talks to finalise a deal that would return the country to civilian rule and end the crisis sparked by their 2021 coup, which triggered a deepening economic crisis in what was already one of the world's poorest countries.</p>.<p>The Saudi embassy in Sudan "urges all Saudi citizens to remain at home", the state-affiliated Al-Ekhbariya channel reported.</p>.<p>Both the Saudi foreign ministry and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, headquartered in Riyadh, issued statements of concern about Saturday's violence.</p>
<p>A passenger plane preparing to take off from Sudan for Saudi Arabia came under fire on Saturday as deadly fighting rocked Khartoum, the kingdom's flag carrier said.</p>.<p>The Airbus A330 bound for Saudi Arabia "was exposed to gunfire damage... with guests and crew on board" ahead of its scheduled departure to Riyadh, Saudia said in a statement.</p>.<p>"It has been confirmed that all members of the aircraft's cabin crew have safely arrived at the Saudi Embassy in Sudan," the statement said.</p>.<p>"Meanwhile aircraft flying over Sudan have returned and all other flights to and from Sudan have been suspended in order to preserve the safety of the guests and crew."</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/timeline-sudan-unrest-since-post-bashir-coup-1210010.html" target="_blank">Timeline: Sudan unrest since post-Bashir coup</a></strong></p>.<p>Clashes broke out on Saturday between Sudan's army and paramilitaries, and the doctors' union reported three civilian deaths, including at Khartoum's airport in the city centre.</p>.<p>The Saudia statement did not mention any casualties in the incident involving its aircraft.</p>.<p>The paramilitaries said they were in control of the airport as well as the presidential place, claims denied by the army.</p>.<p>The eruption of violence came after weeks of deepening tensions between military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his number two, paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, over the planned integration of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the regular army.</p>.<p>That was a key element of talks to finalise a deal that would return the country to civilian rule and end the crisis sparked by their 2021 coup, which triggered a deepening economic crisis in what was already one of the world's poorest countries.</p>.<p>The Saudi embassy in Sudan "urges all Saudi citizens to remain at home", the state-affiliated Al-Ekhbariya channel reported.</p>.<p>Both the Saudi foreign ministry and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, headquartered in Riyadh, issued statements of concern about Saturday's violence.</p>