after paramilitary fighters announced they had seized control of the army's main base there. Sudan's military has not acknowledged loss of the site, which would be a significant victory for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the ongoing civil war. UN chief Antonio Guterres said the latest fighting marked a "terrible escalation" in the conflict, adding that the suffering of civilians was "unbearable", AFP news agency reports. El-Fasher is the last army foothold in the vast western region of Darfur, and has been besieged by the RSF and its allies for 18 months. Heavy fighting has been reported since Saturday after RSF fighters captured the home of the North Darfur governor. Social media videos verified by the BBC now show RSF combatants celebrating the capture of the army's el-Fasher headquarters.

They claim to have seized full control of el-Fasher, but the army's local allies say fighting continues in parts of the city. Communication lines to el-Fasher have been almost completely cut off, while those who managed to flee are enduring harrowing hours filled with fear and uncertainty. "We've witnessed many of our relatives being massacred - they were gathered in one place and all killed. Now we have no idea what has happened to those who are still alive," one man told the BBC. Another resident who fled said they were "extremely worried, as we still have no information about what has happened to the people inside el-Fasher - the children, the elderly, the wounded". (BBC)