Sudan: Fierce clashes in Khartoum as army launches offensive

Khartoum: The Sudanese army launched artillery and airstrikes in the capital, Khartoum, on Thursday as it seeks to recapture areas taken by the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) early in the country's 17-month civil war.

Witnesses reported heavy shelling and fighting as army troops tried to cross bridges across the Nile connecting the three adjoining cities that make up the greater capital: Khartoum, Omdurman and Bahri.

Sudan's long-running conflict
The offensive appears to be the army's first major attempt in months to regain parts of the capital controlled by the RSF.

Despite making some gains in Omdurman early this year, the army has been unable to dislodge the RSF troops embedded in other parts of the capital.

Sudan's current civil war broke out in April 2023 amid a power struggle between RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and army chief Abdel-Fattah Burhan.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands, displaced more than 10 million and caused extreme hunger or famine in several parts of the country.

The new offensive comes as Burhan is set to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday.