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Live blog update| Sudan crisis

Saudi plane hit by gunfire in Sudan unrest: airline

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.

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.

"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.

"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."