The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group in Sudan, declared on Saturday that they had taken over the presidential palace and the international airport in the nation's capital, Khartoum.

They also took control of the airports in the northern city of Maru and the southern city of Ubaid.

The army was then urged to support the people's cause, according to Reuters. However, the army asserts that the paramilitary units' assertions are untrue, as reported by AFP.

“I urge senior military leaders to stop the fighting,” US Ambassador John Godfrey tweeted. The Russians are also asking for a cease-fire.

In the capital of Sudan and other cities, according to witnesses, there has been heavy shooting since the morning. The current development follows several days of tension between the army and the RSF, which raised fears of a confrontation. The differences between the two sides surfaced on Thursday, when the military said the recent RSF moves were uncoordinated and illegal.

A Reuters reporter said he saw cannons and armored vehicles deployed in the streets of the capital and heard the sound of heavy weapons fire near both the RSF headquarters and the army. The army claims that the RSF tried to attack its troops in several positions. The RSF, on the other hand, claims that its units were attacked by the army.

A prolonged confrontation between the RSF and the Sudanese army could mean a prolongation of the conflict in a country already struggling with economic collapse and tribal violence. Sudan is trying to return to civilian rule after power struggles and military coups.

The RSF is headed by former militia leader General Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo. He spearheaded the planned transition to democracy, alarming his colleagues in the military administration. The RSF, along with the military, overthrew long-ruling autocrat Omar Bashir in 2019, and the RSF leader has been the deputy leader of the ruling Sovereign Council, the country’s highest body, since 2019. It is composed of representatives of the army and leaders of civil society, headed by Burhán.