Sudan's army said on Saturday it had entered the central city of Wad Madani and was pushing out its paramilitary rivals the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a step which if completed successfully would be its biggest gain in nearly two years of war.

Sudan’s military and its allies have taken back a strategic city from the rebel Rapid Support Forces, officials said Saturday, dealing a major blow to the notorious paramilitary group the United States accused of committing genocide in the country’s ongoing civil war.

The Sudanese army said it and allied armed groups captured the key Rapid Support Forces (RSF)-held capital of Gezira state. A video the army shared on Saturday showed fighters claiming to be inside Wad Madani, while an army source told AFP they had "stormed the city's eastern entrance".