The Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority has decided to extend the closure of the country's airspace until August 15.

This was announced by Khartoum International Airport in a statement early on Monday, clarifying that the closure does not include humanitarian aid and evacuation flights, "after obtaining permission from the relevant authorities."

The Sudanese airspace has been closed to regular air traffic following the outbreak of military conflict between the country's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in mid-April.

Meanwhile, several residents said that the Rapid Support Forces ordered civilians to evacuate their homes in southern Khartoum as fighting intensified in the western Darfur region.

Faouzi Radwan from Khartoum told AFP on Sunday that "elements from the Rapid Support Forces told me I had 24 hours to leave the area."
The man has been guarding his family's home since fighting began in the city more than three months ago between the Rapid Support Forces and the regular army.

The war between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, Rapid Support Forces leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo "Hemedti," has resulted in the deaths of at least 3,900 people and the displacement of about 3.5 million others.

Most of the fighting has erupted in densely populated neighborhoods in Khartoum, forcing about 1.7 million residents to flee, and forcing millions who remain to shelter from the gunfire in their homes and ration water and electricity usage.

Residents reported on Sunday that hundreds of people were evacuated from the "Jabra" neighborhood south of Khartoum.

The "Jabra" neighborhood and the adjacent area "Al-Sahafa" are home to the army's artillery and a base for the Rapid Support Forces used by Hemedti.

Resident Nasser Hussein told AFP, "They told us this is a military area now and they don't want civilians."

The Rapid Support Forces have been accused of widespread looting and the forced evacuation of people from their homes since the conflict began on April 15.

In addition to Khartoum, some of the worst violence has occurred in the war-torn Darfur region, where allegations of war crimes have led to a new investigation by the International Criminal Court.

Witnesses reported that clashes on Sunday in the town of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state and Sudan's second-largest city, resulted in bombs falling on civilian areas.

In the city of Zalengi, the capital of Central Darfur state, a military source told AFP on Sunday that the army "killed 16 rebels and captured 14 others including an officer," asking not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Citizen Issa Adam, who spoke to AFP from a displacement camp, said that days of "bombs falling repeatedly on our homes" have forced civilians to flee Nyala.

He added that many of them are "now in the open along with the rainy season."

Mohamed Khater also fled Nyala with his children after bombs killed his neighbors.

He told AFP from a nearby camp, "No organizations have reached us, and we are afraid the fighting will extend to us."

More than 2.6 million people have been displaced within Sudan since the start of the war, and over 800,000 others have fled across the borders.