Sudan has been locked in a war between its army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April of 2023, with the military long accusing Abu Dhabi of supporting its rival.

On Wednesday, army-aligned state TV said at least 40 people were killed when Sudan's air force struck an Emirati aircraft transporting mercenaries as it landed at a paramilitary-controlled airport in the war-torn Darfur region.

"These unfounded allegations... are entirely false, lack any evidentiary basis, and represent a continuation of (Sudan's) ongoing campaign of disinformation and deflection," a UAE official told AFP.

A Sudanese military source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, had said the UAE plane "was bombed and completely destroyed" at Darfur's Nyala airport.

State TV said the aircraft had taken off from an airbase in the Gulf, carrying dozens of foreign fighters and military equipment intended for the RSF, which controls nearly all of Darfur.

Nyala airport has recently come under repeated air strikes by the Sudanese army.

The army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has accused the UAE of supplying advanced weaponry, including drones, to the RSF via the airport.

Abu Dhabi denies the accusations, despite numerous reports from UN experts, US political officials and international organisations.

"It is particularly significant that it is one of the warring parties making these allegations as it is directly involved in the hostilities and has every incentive to manipulate the narrative," the UAE official said Thursday.