Fierce clashes erupt between Sudan's army and paramilitary, prompting international concern

Fierce fighting erupted Saturday in Sudan's capital between the military and the country's powerful paramilitary force, raising fears of a wider conflict in the chaos-stricken country. A doctors' group said at least three people were killed and dozens injured.

The clashes between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) group capped months of heightened tensions between both sides that forced the delay of a deal with political parties to restore the country's short-lived transition to democracy.

The sound of heavy firing could be heard across the capital, Khartoum, and its sister city of Omdurman, where both the military and the RSF have amassed tens of thousands of troops since an October 2021 military coup that derailed Sudan's fragile path to democracy.

Army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan told Al Jazeera TV: "We think if they are wise, they will turn back their troops that came into Khartoum. But if it continues, we will have to deploy troops into Khartoum from other areas."

The RSF's leader, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, called al-Burhan a "criminal" and a "liar."

"We know where you are hiding and we will get to you and hand you over to justice, or you die just like any other dog," he said in an interview with the station.

Residents described chaotic scenes in Khartoum and Omdurman as firing and explosions rang out in densely populated neighbourhoods. "Fire and explosions are everywhere," said Amal Mohamed, a doctor in a public hospital in Omdurman. "All are running and seeking shelter."

Another Khartoum resident, Abdel-Hamid Mustafa, said soldiers from both sides on armoured trucks were seen firing at each other in the streets and residential areas. "We haven't seen such battles in Khartoum before," she said.

One of the flashpoints was Khartoum International Airport, where clashes grounded commercial Sudan-bound flights from Saudi Arabia, which turned back after nearly landing at the airport, flight tracking data showed Saturday.

Saudi Arabia's national airline said one of its Airbus A330 aircraft was involved in "an accident." Video showed the plane on fire on the tarmac. Another plane also appeared to have caught fire in the attack. Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 identified it as a SkyUp Airlines Boeing 737. SkyUp is a Kyiv-based airline. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Sudan Doctors' Syndicate said two civilians were killed at the airport, without specifying the circumstances. The committee said in a statement that another man was shot to death in the state of North Kordofan.

Meanwhile, the BBC reported that a correspondent for BBC News Arabic in Khartoum, Mohamed Osman, was beaten by a Sudanese soldier. The broadcaster said the army had stopped Osman's car while he was en route to his job and that he was taken to army headquarters in Omdurman. While explaining his movements to officers, he was hit in the head from behind by a soldier, the BBC said.

The fighting comes after months of escalating tensions between the generals and years of political unrest after the October 2021 military coup.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other top diplomats expressed extreme concern over the outbreak of violence. "We urge all actors to stop the violence immediately and avoid further escalations or troop mobilizations and continue talks to resolve outstanding issues," Blinken wrote on Twitter.