Explosions and gunfire were heard around Sudan's capital of Khartoum on Saturday, as clashes were reported between the military led by army general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary.

Witnesses told the Reuters news agency they heard heavy gunfire south of Khartoum. The source of the fire was not immediately known.

Clashes were also reportedly taking place near the Republican Palace. Local media said military forces were blocking entrances to the palace and surrounding the building of state TV.

Gunfire was also heard near RSF bases, witnesses told Reuters and the French AFP news agency, as well as military bases, suggesting clashes between the two forces.

The RSF claimed in a statement taking over Khartoum Airport, amid local media reports of flights being suspended. The paramilitary also said it took over the Merowe airport and base north of the capital.

Exchanging accusations of attacks

The Sudanese army accused the RSF paramilitaries of attacking its bases in Khartoum and elsewhere.

"Clashes are ongoing and the army is carrying out its duty to safeguard the country," army spokesman Brigadier General Nabil Abdallah told AFP.

The RSF had earlier accused in a statement military forces of attacking its base with "all kinds of light and heavy arms."

"The Rapid Support Forces were surprised Saturday with a large force from the army entering camps in Soba in Khartoum and laying siege to paramilitaries there," the RSF said.

Unverified videos on Twitter showed what was identified as RSF forces on the runway of Khartoum airport.

A rift has been widening between Burhan, who led a military coup in 2021, and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, among Sudan's most powerful men.

A top army general accused the RSF on Thursday of deploying forces across the country without the army's consent, warning of potential clashes in a rare televised speech.

The paramilitary force, which had deployed troops near the northern town of Merowe, defended the presence of its forces.

An unverified video circulated on social media showing fighters identified as RSF paramilitaries claiming control over Merowe's military airport. Merowe lies some 330 kilometers north of Khartoum.

Why have tensions flared recently?

The crisis between the military and the RSF escalated after both forces failed to reach an agreement over restructuring the military, seen as a prerequisite before forming a civilian government.

The agreement to launch a new transition toward elections that would bring the country back on a civilian track after the October 2021 coup was initially reached late last year.

Reports have suggested the deadlock is due to disagreements between Burhan and Daglo over how the RSF should be integrated into the military.

The RSF emerged from the Janjaweed militia, which Sudan's then-president, Omar al Bashir, leaned on in his crackdown on the western Darfur region in the early 2000s. The militia is accused of committing war crimes against Darfur's non-Arab rebels.

However, Bashir's 2019 ouster did not eliminate the RSF. Its current leader, Daglo, was among the most powerful figures in post-Bashir Sudan.