According to the Khartoum state health ministry, a Sudanese army air attack killed at least 22 people in western Omdurman on Saturday, as the country’s war entered its 85th day.
Omdurman, Khartoum’s twin city, has recently been the site of clashes between the army and its adversary, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The western section of the city serves as a vital supply line for the RSF, which brings reinforcements to the capital’s metropolitan region from its power base in Darfur, Sudan.
While the government health ministry claims that hundreds of people have died in Sudan’s conflict, which began on April 15, the true count is thought to be much higher.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have launched air and artillery attacks on Khartoum and its sister cities, Omdurman and Bahri, while the RSF has dominated on the ground and advanced to seize control of significant portions of the city.
According to military sources from Sudan and the West who spoke to Middle East Eye, the RSF currently controls the conflict, with the SAF struggling to win ground combat despite controlling the skies.
Since Friday night, the army’s strikes have also focused on the state broadcasting complex east of Omdurman. Other overnight strikes hit southern and eastern Khartoum.
Outside of Khartoum, fighting continued in Darfur and Kordofan, where the RSF is besieging el-Obeid, a strategically important city. Last week, residents of the city informed Middle East Eye that they were running out of water, food, fuel, and other essential commodities.
Over 2.9 million Sudanese have been internally displaced, with nearly 700,000 having to leave to neighboring nations.