The move follows days of tension between the army and the RSF, a powerful paramilitary group, that had sparked concern about a confrontation.

A Reuters witness saw cannon and armoured vehicles deployed in streets, and heard the sound of heavy weaponry in the vicinity of the headquarters of both the army and RSF.

The source of the gunfire could not be immediately confirmed by Reuters. People could be seen running in a state of panic in Khartoum.

The rift between the forces came to the surface on Thursday, when the army said that recent movements by the RSF had happened without coordination and were illegal.

A statement by the RSF today called the army’s actions a “brute assault”, and called for it to be condemned.

It said that the RSF had been in contact with local and international mediators to inform them.

A confrontation between the two forces could spell prolonged strife across a vast country already dealing with economic breakdown and flare-ups of tribal violence.