Sudan’s military has launched a serious offensive within the capital, Khartoum, to regain floor held by the paramilitary Speedy Help Forces (RSF), navy sources have informed Al Jazeera.
The military carried out air strikes on Thursday in opposition to RSF positions within the capital and north of Khartoum in its largest such assault in months.
Reporting from Khartoum, Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan mentioned the military has taken management of three most important bridges, together with two that join town of Omdurman with the capital.
“We all know the military was capable of take over the japanese a part of Nile Bridge, that’s the bridge that connects town of Omdurman to town of Khartoum, they usually’ve been advancing in the direction of Nile Avenue, in the direction of the presidential palace the place there has additionally been heavy combating reported,” mentioned Morgan.
Although the military retook some floor in Omdurman early this yr, it relies upon totally on artillery and air strikes and has been unable to dislodge simpler RSF floor forces embedded in Khartoum.
Army sources mentioned the assault was “within the works for months”, mentioned Morgan, in opposition to the din of artillery and fighter jets overhead.
The bloody civil conflict that erupted in April 2023 has precipitated a critical humanitarian disaster, nonetheless diplomatic efforts by the USA and different international locations have faltered, with the military refusing to attend talks final month in Switzerland.
“You may hear the heavy artillery now nonetheless ongoing, so it seems like the military continues to be combating the RSF in a number of positions,” she added.
The military was making an attempt to “drain the capacities and the capabilities” of the RSF, so their presence within the capital might be “minimised”.
Extra to return …