CAIRO, May 16. /TASS/. Sudan’s army and Rapid Support Forces continued their standoff in Khartoum, the country’s capital, and its suburbs, according to the Al Hadath TV channel.

The media outlet reports that explosions were heard in several parts of the city. Fierce fighting erupted to the east and south of Khartoum. The capital’s residents report artillery shelling and air strikes on bases of the Rapid Support Forces.

Overnight on Tuesday, according to Al Hadath, the conflicting sides exchanged fire in Khartoum North and Omdurman.

The situation in Sudan escalated amid disagreements between the army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who also heads the ruling Sovereignty Council, and the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti), who is al-Burhan’s deputy on the council. The main points of contention between the two military organizations pertain to the timeline and methods for unifying the armed forces of Sudan, as well as who should be appointed as commander-in-chief of the army: a career military officer, which is al-Burhan’s preferred option, or an elected civilian president, as Dagalo insists. On April 15, clashes erupted near a military base in Merowe and in Khartoum. According to the latest data from the Sudanese Doctors’ Union, more than 800 civilians have been killed since the clashes broke out.