Death toll from violent Khartoum protests rises to 10: Sudanese doctors

KHARTOUM, Sudan

The death toll from Thursday’s violent protests in the Sudanese capital Khartoum has risen to 10, said a local medical group on Friday.

At least 10 protesters were killed and dozens of others injured when security forces used force against protesters in Omdurman, the Central Committee of the Sudanese Doctors said in a statement.

The US Embassy in Sudan said it was "concerned" over the violent escalation in Sudan.

"We are concerned about reports of deaths among protesters, the use of live ammunition by the authorities, and attacks on medical personnel," the embassy said on Twitter.

Thousands of protesters managed to get close to the presidential palace in the nation’s capital Khartoum, according to witnesses.

Authorities cut internet and communications services ahead of the protests, which were held on the anniversary of a 1989 coup that toppled the last elected civilian government.

Witnesses said Sudanese forces erected checkpoints and closed main roads ahead of the demonstrations amid reports of arrests.

Ahead of the protests, Sudanese police said it will protect peaceful protests but warned it will defend itself against attacks by protesters.

Sudan has been in turmoil since last October when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government – a move decried by political forces as a "military coup."

At least 100 people have since been killed in protests, according to Sudanese medics.