Shafaq News/ On Thursday, El Fasher, the capital of Darfur in Sudan, witnessed bloody clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), resulting in dozens of deaths, including Abdul-Rahman Qarn Shatta, one of the prominent RSF leaders.

The battles between the two sides lasted for more than six hours, with the largest mobilization seen since the fighting intensified in the city over four months ago.

The army and allied armed movements stated they had repelled “a major attack on the city.” However, the RSF confirmed their advancement on several fronts, claiming “control over four neighborhoods in the southeastern sector,” considered the city's most strategic area.

Before the fighting erupted, a quarter of Darfur’s population of six million lived in the city, which constitutes 20% of Sudan's land area and is home to about 14% of the country’s population of approximately 42 million.

Thousands of civilians have been killed or injured since the outbreak of fighting in the strategic city, the last in Darfur where the army still has a presence after the RSF gained control of over 90% of the region.

Both sides have used heavy weaponry, drones, and intensive airstrikes, causing widespread destruction to hospitals, public facilities, and residential areas.