Sudanese army says it retook highway linking Khartoum and El Obeid

Key points

• Sudan’s army said it had regained full control of the Al Sadarat highway linking Khartoum with El Obeid.
• The army said the recapture followed two days of fighting with the Rapid Support Forces.
• El Obeid has remained under siege by the Rapid Support Forces, with about 500,000 people reportedly trapped there.
• The army reported recapturing Um Qurfa and Jarigakh, and said opposing forces suffered heavy casualties and equipment losses without giving figures.
• The United Nations has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in El Obeid, while the World Health Organization estimates Sudan’s conflict has killed 40,000 people.