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"We have expanded operations in the southern Gaza Strip with the goal of encircling and dividing the Rafah area," he said.

The rebel group said it had "encircled the enemy... leaving behind 380 dead," after months of fighting with a coalition of armed groups allied to the Sudanese army known as the Joint Forces.

The army headquarters in central Khartoum had been encircled by RSF forces for 21 months, trapping soldiers unable to link up with other army units closing in on the city.

In recent weeks troops have mostly encircled Khartoum, coming up from the south after surging through central Sudan, and clearing city districts in the north and east, squeezing the remaining RSF fighters into the centre.

Some of the 172 passengers travelling on the flight bound for Dallas were seen standing on the plane's wing after it touched down in Denver, with large plumes of smoke encircling around them.