Khartoum, Feb 18 (IANS): The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has announced that it has broken the siege imposed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the Engineers Corps in Omdurman, west of the capital Khartoum.

Video clips released by the army early Saturday showed the arrival of the SAF Commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan in Omdurman, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Al-Burhan arrived in Omdurman on Friday evening to inspect the conditions of the forces and progress of operations in the wake of the major victories achieved by the army after completing the first phase," the Army said in a statement.

The statement noted that the SAF forces from the Wadi Seidna military base in northern Omdurman successfully lifted the siege and united with army forces at the Engineers Corps base in western Omdurman for the first time since the conflict broke out.

The army also posted video clips showing citizens celebrating the armed forces' victories in Omdurman and their control of parts of the city.

The SAF's Chief of Staff Mohamed Osman Al-Hussein congratulated in a statement the Sudanese army's command in Omdurman on the completion of the first phase of "the plan to clean Omdurman from the mercenaries of the RSF militia".

Al-Hussein described the first phase of the military operation in Omdurman as "difficult," expressing hope that a complete victory would be achieved in the near future.

The neighbourhoods of Omdurman have reportedly been witnessing fierce battles in recent days, particularly around the city's main market area. The army is actively working to encircle the RSF forces stationed near the National Radio and Television Corporation in central Omdurman.

Sudanese activists shared video clips on social media platforms depicting extensive destruction in Omdurman's main market due to ongoing battles between the SAF and the RSF.

Deadly clashes between the two forces have persisted since April 15 of last year, resulting in a reported death toll of more than 13,000 individuals, as per recent estimates from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.