Sudan‘s military initiated a series of artillery and air strikes in the capital on Thursday, marking its most significant offensive to reclaim territory since the onset of its 17-month conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to witnesses and military officials.

This military action follows the army’s loss of control over much of the capital at the beginning of the conflict and precedes an address by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the army’s commander, at the United Nations General Assembly in New York later that day.

Witnesses reported intense bombardments and skirmishes as army units attempted to cross bridges over the Nile that link the three cities comprising the greater capital: Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri.

While the army managed to regain some territory in Omdurman earlier this year, it primarily relies on artillery and air support and has struggled to dislodge the more effective RSF ground forces entrenched in various areas of the capital.

In recent months, the RSF has continued to make territorial gains in other regions of Sudan, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis that has displaced over 10 million people and led to severe hunger and famine in parts of the country.

Diplomatic initiatives by the United States and other nations have stalled, particularly after the army declined to participate in discussions held in Switzerland last month.