Fighting continues between rival military factions in Sudan for a fifth day as a 24-hour ceasefire breaks down and the death toll rises to at least 270.

Gunfire and explosions were heard on Wednesday in central Khartoum near the defense ministry compound and the airport, which has been fiercely contested between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The warring sides had agreed to the 24-hour truce, which was expected to take effect at 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) on Tuesday.

However, the ceasefire shattered, dashing the hopes of trapped Khartoum residents to obtain desperately needed relief and supplies.

The army, led by General Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the RSF, headed by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as “Hemedti,” accused each other of violating the truce.

“The RSF didn’t even give the ceasefire a chance to take effect,” said Brigadier General Nabil Abdullah, spokesman for the Sudanese Armed Forces.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said at least 270 people have been killed and more than 2,600 wounded since the conflict broke out on Saturday.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation in Sudan as “deeply concerning,” adding that the supplies that the UN agency had distributed to health facilities “are now exhausted,” with Khartoum hospitals “reporting shortages of medical personnel and lifesaving medical supplies.”

Source: Presstv