'I haven't slept, I'm terrified': Sudan capital rocked by fighting

We've been speaking to Arshad Malik, country director of Save the Children in Sudan, in the last hour.

Asked what happened at the charity’s compound in Darfur last night, Malik says it was looted - but he doesn't know which side of the conflict is responsible.

"We understand they were armed men, we can't say which group they belong to," Malik tells us.

He says staff at the Darfur compound were not hurt but medical supplies were taken, as well as food and laptops.

More widely, Malik tells us that access to food and water is getting more and more difficult to access within Sudan's capital Khartoum - and he says there's been a rise in looting in Darfur.

The Sudan Doctors' Trade Union has become a key source of information since fighting began on Saturday, posting regular statements and updates on Twitter.

Today it warns that lives are being put at risk due to hospitals and medical centres being hit by shelling all over the country.

Writing in a series of tweets, the union says it has repeatedly appealed for both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces not to attack health facilities, but says the exact opposite has happened.

The union has confirmed "severe damages" to Al-Shaab Teaching Hospital in Khartoum along with two other hospitals as a result of clashes and "mutual shelling", and it’s called the attacks a violation of international law.

You can read the whole statement here .

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Let's bring you some comments from the head of Sudanese Armed Forces, who is in effect the country's de-facto leader.

Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan says his troops will "definitely" defeat the powerful rival paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Speaking from the military headquarters compound in the presidential guesthouse, he told Sky News : "Every war ends at the negotiation table even if the opponent is defeated. Even if there is surrender, there is still negotiation."

He says the area within the compound is "fully secure" - but claims there have been "stray" shells fired by the RSF who are "escalating" the situation in "nearby commercial and residential areas".

Quote Message: We are holding back because we don't want too many civilian losses in residential areas." from Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan

We are holding back because we don't want too many civilian losses in residential areas."

I've been in contact with another journalist who is living in Khartoum - not far from the Republican Palace.

Isma'il KushKush tells me: "Electricity has been out in the downtown area since around noon Saturday, I'm turning my phone on and off every few hours to save charge."

Since the break of dawn today, KushKush says there has been "heavy fighting", adding he feels the area is "dominated" by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) soldiers.

"I suspect fighter jets and tanks used," he adds. "Probably by the army coming from army headquarters to the east."

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A Nigerian student who is stuck in Khartoum has told the BBC’s Focus on Africa radio programme that the last few days have been “traumatic” and that she has “never experienced anything like this”.

She says she “woke up to gunshots” early on Saturday “without any idea” what was going on.

The student, who wishes to remain anonymous, says she is currently seeking shelter in the conference hall of her school, but the space is crowded. “We are a lot and we are surviving on just, I think, five bathrooms”, she says, adding that using the toilet is “hard”.

“We want to be back to our parents, we want to be back to our countries”, she tells the programme, before describing gunshots so loud and close by that she felt the "ground shaking".

You can listen to the full interview below:

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

We’ve just been hearing from UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, who says he strongly condemns the most recent outbreak of fighting in Sudan.

He urges leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to cease hostilities, restore calm and begin dialogue to resolve the crisis. In a statement, he says:

Quote Message: I urge all those with influence over the situation to use it in the cause of peace; to support efforts to end the violence, restore order, and return to the path of transition.

I urge all those with influence over the situation to use it in the cause of peace; to support efforts to end the violence, restore order, and return to the path of transition.

He adds that the humanitarian situation in Sudan “was already precarious and is now catastrophic”.

It's tricky to pin down exact details from the ground in Sudan, but let's take a step back and look at what we know:

There's growing concern... for civilians caught up in the violence in Sudan, on the third day of fighting between rival branches of the armed forces.

Patients in two hospitals... in Khartoum have appealed for safe passages as gun battles rage in the capital.

Witnesses say power and water supplies... have been cut in some neighbourhoods, and food is running short.

The UN mission in Sudan... has again appealed for a humanitarian pause so civilians can escape the fighting.

The Sudanese army... has dismissed claims by the Rapid Support Forces that it has captured key sites in Khartoum. The two forces - led by rival generals who had been sharing power - are also fighting in other cities across the country.

Throughout the day, and indeed over the weekend, we've been sent images of burning buildings in Khartoum.

Explosions have been occurring right across the capital and we've been able to pinpoint where some of the hotspots in the city are in terms of fighting.

Using data from Nasa we can see the fires are concentrated in several key locations including the Kobar Bridge over the Blue Nile river, Khartoum International Airport and an industrial area to the west of the city.

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If you're just joining us, our Sudan analyst James Copnall has appeared on our 5 Questions On podcast to bring you up to speed with the latest developments.

Have a listen:

Sudan TVCopyright: Sudan TV

Sudan state television is back on air after being cut off for hours.

The channel has been broadcasting pro-army songs and anthems.

An army source told the BBC that they managed to regain control of radio and television from the RSF.

Explosions and smoke have been filmed at Khartoum airport in Sudan after a morning of air strikes and shooting.

Patients in two hospitals in Khartoum are pleading for a safe passage to get out and to safety, as the fighting intensifies in the city.

Witnesses are saying that the hospitals are becoming packed with patients, as more wounded people are arriving seeking medical help.

So far there are reports of damage and clashes in and around four hospitals in the capital, including strikes and fighting recorded near al-Shaab hospital this morning.

BBCCopyright: BBC

We're still trying to get a clear picture of what's happening on the ground in Sudan, as fighting continues for a third day in the capital of Khartoum.

We've spoken to Hamid Khalafallah, a Khartoum resident and fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy.

He says residents are living in "very dire and difficult situations".

People are very stressed, he says, with many citizens staying inside their houses and taking shelter where they can.

"Electricity has been out in most neighbourhoods for 30 hours or so. Water is also out," he says.

"Food supplies are also running low as it is difficult to get supplies due to the violent clashes taking place outside."

The Sudanese military has dismissed claims from the Rapid Support Force's (RSF) that they are in control of key sites in Khartoum.

The two rival groups have been trading claims of victory and accusations of blame since the fighting broke out on Saturday.

In a statement, Sudan's armed forces say RSF claims are misleading information designed to manipulate public opinion.

The military did confirm there were clashes around the Sudanese army headquarters in Khartoum, but said the army was still in control of all its command centres.

The statement also claim the RSF forces - which it describes a militias - are looting and ransacking people’s properties and possessions.

A Khartoum resident has told us she hasn't slept for two days amid the loud explosions and feeling of "terror" as the conflict in Sudan's capital continues into its third day.

“We live on a rooftop on the third floor and the airplanes fly really close to the roofs and its terrifying," Duaa Tariq says.

Tariq, who spoke to us a little earlier, had said she was running out of food and water, and had no electricity.

She said there was enough bottled water to last today and tomorrow, but added: “We don’t have water in the taps. We don’t know how to manage without water right now. We’re trying to figure it out."

A resident in Sudan's capital Khartoum has shown how his electricity and water supplies have been hit during the conflict.

Momen Almakki says people in the Kobar neighbourhood are afraid of running short of food as bakeries and markets are closed.

Take a look:

As we get to grips with today's fighting, satellite images make clear the damage already done to key infrastructure in the capital Khartoum by airstrikes and other bombardment.

The Kobar bridge was on fire after a strike yesterday, with smoke and flames seen directly opposite the city's Universal Hospital Sudan in photographs by satellite imaging firm Planet Labs.

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Enormous smoke clouds have also been seen billowing from Khartoum's international airport, this morning and over the weekend.

Satellite imaging from Sunday shows two destroyed military planes, while civilian aircraft also appears to have been devastated in air strikes near the runway.

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A rail facility was also attacked on Sunday, with smoke seen rising near government buildings and train carriages in the south of the city, this time captured by Maxar Technologies.

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The Sudanese army has called for the paramilitary group with which it is locked in combat to be formally disbanded, according to a statement from the foreign ministry cited by the Reuters news agency.

The order - from army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan - follows a days-long struggle between the army and the group in question: the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

We'll bring you more on this statement if and when we get it.