7 killed, 140 injured as army fire on protesters in Sudan

At least seven people are reported to have died and some 140 have been hurt after soldiers fired on crowds opposing a military takeover in Sudan, reported British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Protestors took to the streets after the armed forces dissolved civilian rule, arrested political leaders and called a state of emergency on Monday.

Troops are reported to have been going house to house in the capital Khartoum arresting local protest organisers, said the BBC report.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan said on Monday that the division among partners in the transitional government prompted the military intervention to prevent the country from chaos, reported Xinhua.

Al-Burhan, also general commander of the Sudanese armed forces, made the remarks in a speech broadcast by the official Sudan TV, in which he announced the state of emergency across the country, dissolution of the sovereign council and the government, and the relief of all state governors of their post.

Earlier in the day, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, members of the Transitional Sovereignty Council's civilian component and several ministers were arrested by joint military forces, according to Sudan's Ministry of Information and Communications.

The office of the prime minister said in a statement that a security force took Hamdok and his wife to an unknown place.

The capital Khartoum is witnessing street demonstrations rejecting the military intervention and demanding a civilian government.

Since the announcement of foiling a coup attempt on Sept. 21, the tensions between the military and civilian partners in the transitional government have continued to escalate.

Sudan is ruled amid a 39-month transitional period under a traditional government of military and civilian elements, established after the ouster of former President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019. The transitional period is set to be followed by elections to form a new government.