Sudanese soldiers have clashed with pro-government forces in a bid to protect protesters in the capital Khartoum from a crackdown on Tuesday.
Witnesses spoke of an exchange of gunfire between members of a military unit and security forces involved in a heavy crackdown on protesters camped at the army headquarters in Khartoum for a third consecutive day.
At least ten people have died since the sit-in began on Saturday to prompt the military to intervene and force President Omar Bashir to resign.
For days, an armed group said to be loyal to the ruling party have been trying to break the sit-in demonstration using live ammunition and tear gas.
But soldiers at the headquarters have been intervening on behalf of the protesters by chasing the security forces away.
Videos posted on social media show protesters in the area chanting pro-army slogans and calling soldiers to protect them from attacks before gun shots were heard.
“The total deaths from four days of protests have risen on Tuesday to 22 including five soldiers” the Sudanese Doctors Committee said in a statement.
It said another 153 have been injured, many of them in critical condition.
Tens of thousands of Sudanese have been participating in the sit-in at the army headquarters demanding an end to Bashir’s 30-year rule.
AR\as\APA