Hospitals shelled as fighting rages in Sudan

Hospitals have been shelled in Sudan as fighting between rival armed factions continues for a third day, doctors say.

Patients in the capital, Khartoum, have appealed for safe passage as gun battles rage in the city.

Violence between the army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left around 100 people dead, a doctors' union said.

Both sides claimed to control key sites in Khartoum, where residents sheltered from explosions.

The Sudan Doctors' Trade Union says there has been severe damage to al-Shab Teaching Hospital in Khartoum, along with two other hospitals, caused by clashes and "mutual shelling".

It called the attacks a violation of international law.

More than 1,800 civilians and fighters have been injured according to Volker Perthes, the UN envoy for Sudan. He also put the death toll at 185 people while speaking to reporters in New York on Monday.

The two sides held a brief ceasefire on Sunday to allow the wounded to be evacuated, although it was not clear how strictly they stuck to it.

On Monday, clouds of smoke were visible above Khartoum's main airport, with TV showing images of fires and explosions. Army air strikes targeted RSF bases, some of which are embedded in residential areas.

The fighting is between army units loyal to the de facto leader, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, a notorious paramilitary force commanded by Sudan's deputy leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti.

He said on Monday that the international community must intervene, and branded Gen Burhan "a radical Islamist who is bombing civilians from the air". Gen Burhan has said he is willing to negotiate.

Alarmed neighbours Kenya, South Sudan and Djibouti are planning to send their presidents to help mediate in the crisis, however this is not currently possible because the airport is closed.

The US, EU and UK have called for an immediate end to the fighting.

There has been fierce fighting around the country's seat of power, the Republican Palace. The army says it remains in control of all its bases, including its Khartoum headquarters, where heavy weapons have been used during intense clashes.

The sound of gunfire and explosions has hardly stopped since Saturday morning. One estimate put the number of injured at 1,100.

Beyond the capital, the army says it is in control of eastern parts of the country and the key Red Sea port of Port Sudan. But fighting is continuing in Darfur, where the RSF is strong, and also in Kordofan in the south.

Sudan state TV is now back on air and broadcasting pro-army songs and anthems, after many hours without transmission.

The internet is still up and running - no doubt because the military wants to make sure their version of events and their propaganda narrative out, suggests BBC Sudan analyst James Copnall.

But electricity is down in many places and water supplies to homes have been cut, leaving terrified residents no choice but to venture onto Khartoum's streets in search of drinking water.

Sudan is a majority-Muslim country and the fighting has brought an abrupt end to the kind of outdoor socialising that usually happens during Ramadan after the day-time fast is broken.

On Sunday and early Monday, the RSF claimed to occupy sites in Khartoum such as the presidential palace.

But some accounts indicated that the army had regained control of the airport, with the military saying they were dealing with "small pockets of rebels".

The army previously denied that the RSF had seized key sites in the capital, and witnesses in the country told Reuters news agency that the army appeared to be making gains after blasting RSF bases with air strikes.

Residents of Khartoum have spoken of fear and panic, and reported gunfire and explosions.

"We live on a rooftop on the third floor and the airplanes fly really close to the roofs and its terrifying," Duaa Tariq told the BBC. She said she was running out of food and water.

Another Khartoum resident, Kholood Khair, said residents could not be sure of safety anywhere. "All civilians have been urged to stay at home, but that has not kept everyone safe."

The major sticking points between the army and RSF are over the plans to incorporate the 100,000-strong RSF into the army, and over who would then lead the new force.

A chorus of international voices has called for a permanent end to the violence.

Leading Arab states and the US have also urged a resumption of talks aimed at restoring a civilian government, while the African Union has announced that it is sending its top diplomat, Moussa Faki Mahamat, to try to negotiate a ceasefire.

Egypt and South Sudan also offered to mediate between the warring factions, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency.

Death toll estimates have varied.

The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors reported 97 civilians killed and dozens among security forces dead, as well as 942 people injured.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization says more than 83 people have been killed and more than 1,100 people injured across the country since Thursday, when the RSF began mobilising its forces. It does not specify how many civilians have died in the fighting.

Among the dead are three staff members of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), which has suspended its operations in the country.

In a statement, the WFP said it was "horrified" by the news of the deaths, adding that one of its aircraft had been damaged at Khartoum airport during an exchange of gunfire on Saturday, which it says impacted its ability to provide aid.