Witnesses and military sources have confirmed that the Sudanese army launched artillery bombardments and airstrikes on the capital today, marking its largest operation to reclaim territory seized by the Rapid Support Forces since the start of the 17-month-long conflict.

According to a report by The Guardian, this operation comes ahead of a speech by army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The fighting has concentrated in the three cities of Khartoum State: Khartoum, Omdurman, and Khartoum North, involving ground, air, and naval forces that advanced across three bridges connecting the capital’s cities.