Deaths top 300 as intense fighting enters sixth day in Sudan

More than 300 people have been killed since the fighting erupted between forces loyal to Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The fighting has taken a heavy toll on civilians across Sudan since Saturday. Ahmed Al-Mandhari of the World Health Organization said Thursday that "almost 330 people had died and almost 3,200 more" had been wounded in the capital Khartoum, the western Darfur region, and other states.

Media reports quoting witnesses said that explosions and gunfire resounded in the Sudanese capital on Thursday as fighting between the forces of two rival generals entered its sixth day.

The crackle of gunfire was heard and columns of thick black smoke were seen rising from buildings around Khartoum International Airport and the army headquarters in the capital.

Around the capital and elsewhere, RSF fighters atop armored vehicles and pickup trucks mounted with machine guns have taken over the streets. Many have put up checkpoints to search cars carrying civilians trying to escape Khartoum's worst battle zones to safer areas.

In recent days, some of the fiercest battles have taken place in Khartoum, a city home to five million people, most of whom have been cloistered in their homes without electricity, food, and water. Fighting has also damaged residential and commercial buildings, with civilians sheltering in their homes.

MG