KHARTOUM: Rival Sudanese forces on Sunday announced the extension of a truce they have largely violated, as warplanes roared overhead and fighting continued on the ground in Sudan’s capital.

Deadly hostilities between the army and heavily-armed paramilitaries in Khartoum and other parts of the country have entered a third week.

The latest widely-breached ceasefire was scheduled to formally expire at midnight (2200 GMT) before the rival forces announced an extension for 72 hours that the Sudanese army said came due to “US and Saudi mediation”.

More than 500 people have been killed and tens of thousands of people forced to leave their homes for safer locations within the country or abroad since battles erupted on April 15.