Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces says its fighters had staged a “surprise” attack on an airbase controlled by the army near the capital, destroying three aircraft and torching large warehouses.
There was no immediate word from the army on Monday's attack on Wad Sayedna airbase near Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman.
Khartoum International Airport, the only other air facility in the greater Khartoum area, was captured by the RSF in the early days of the war with the Sudanese army, which began in April.
An RSF statement said its fighters had destroyed two MiG fighter jets and an Antonov transport plane in the attack.
The airbase is west of Omdurman which, together with the cities of Khartoum and Bahri, comprise the greater capital of Sudan. It was extensively used in the early days of the war to evacuate foreign residents and is believed to have also been used by jet fighters bombing RSF positions.
Witnesses in Omdurman said columns of smoke were rising from the base.
Separately, a video released by the military late on Monday night showed army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan walking into what appeared to be a windowless conference room with eight senior officers.
A cheerful and smiling Gen Al Burhan, in camouflage clothing, shook the officers' hands and sat at the head of the table after he handed an automatic rifle to his aide.
Gen Al Burhan has made several public appearances since the war began.
In contrast, his war rival, RSF commander Gen Mohamed Dagalo, has not been seen in public since the early days of the war, fuelling speculation that he may have been seriously injured in battle. Instead, he has been releasing audio recordings, the latest of which was posted online on Monday.
The army has been heavily reliant on air strikes and artillery shelling in its war against the RSF, whose fighters are deployed deep inside residential districts of Khartoum where they are proving difficult to dislodge.
The shelling and air strikes are thought to have contributed significantly to the high number of civilian casualties. The Health Ministry last month said 3,000 civilians had been killed since the war broke out in mid-April, with twice as many injured. The actual figure, however, is believed to be much higher.
The RSF has to date claimed to have shot down about a half dozen army MiG-29 jet fighters.
These claims could not be independently verified, although in some cases the RSF posted footage online purporting to show blackened wreckage of aircraft. The army has never acknowledged the loss of any of its warplanes.
The war in Sudan followed months of tension between the army and the RSF over far-reaching reforms proposed by civilian pro-democracy politicians for the army to withdraw from politics and the paramilitary to be integrated into the armed forces.
The fighting, which is centred in Khartoum, has led to a humanitarian crisis. Three million people have been displaced, of whom more than 700,000 crossed into neighbouring nations in search of a safe haven.
Millions, meanwhile, are trapped in Khartoum, enduring the air strikes, shelling and crossfire, while suffering from lengthy power cuts, water shortages, scarce healthcare services and sharply rising food and fuel prices.
Neither side has shown a genuine appetite for a truce, altogether ignoring or not fully respecting several ceasefires mediated by the US and Saudi Arabia, preferring instead to continue fighting until they gain a clear edge that strengthens their hand if they end up at the negotiating table.
The fighting has continued in the capital, where the army said that on Saturday and Sunday the RSF hit the Medical Corps complex and the military-owned Aliaa hospital in Omdurman.
Aliaa, which treats both military and civilian patients, had also been hosting former dictator Omar Al Bashir, who was transferred there from prison before the start of the conflict.
Beginning on Friday, some of the most intense clashes were seen in Bahri, across the Nile from Omdurman and Khartoum, with the army trying to dislodge RSF fighters.
Gen Dagalo claimed a victory for his forces there in an audio recording posted online on Monday.
“The choice of peace and stability in Sudan has always been and still is our choice … Yet, we are prepared for the choice of war and ready to sacrifice ourselves to ensure a decent life for our people,” said Gen Dagalo, who is better known by his nickname Hemedti.
Reuters contributed to this report
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
MORE ON IRAN'S PROXY WARS
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Saint-Etienne v Montpellier (10.45pm)
Saturday
Monaco v Caen (7pm)
Amiens v Bordeaux (10pm)
Angers v Toulouse (10pm)
Metz v Dijon (10pm)
Nantes v Guingamp (10pm)
Rennes v Lille (10pm)
Sunday
Nice v Strasbourg (5pm)
Troyes v Lyon (7pm)
Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain (11pm)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
Who is Ramon Tribulietx?
Born in Spain, Tribulietx took sole charge of Auckland in 2010 and has gone on to lead the club to 14 trophies, including seven successive Oceania Champions League crowns. Has been tipped for the vacant New Zealand national team job following Anthony Hudson's resignation last month. Had previously been considered for the role.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books
The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 1
Kane (50')
Newcastle United 0
Sting & Shaggy
44/876
(Interscope)
The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
Places to go for free coffee
- Cherish Cafe Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, are giving away free coffees all day.
- La Terrace, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, are serving their first 50 guests one coffee and four bite-sized cakes
- Wild & The Moon will be giving away a free espresso with every purchase on International Coffee Day
- Orange Wheels welcome parents are to sit, relax and enjoy goodies at ‘Café O’ along with a free coffee
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
