Sudan's military says it has recaptured a key city in the country's east, one of its biggest gains in the nearly two-year war against militants.
Pictures on social media show people cheering in the streets as the army entered the town of Wad Madani.
The leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, admitted to the disappearance in an audio message.
His reception was angry and violent, attributing his defeat to the superiority of the military and the use of Iranian-made drones.
But he vowed to keep fighting until he wins, even if it takes another 20 years.
Wad Madani is the capital of the Al Jazira region, and is 140 kilometers south of the country's capital, Khartoum.
Violence broke out between the army and the RSF in April 2023 following days of tension as RSF members redistributed across the country in what the army saw as a threat.
This war has killed tens of thousands of people. And in what the United Nations calls “one of the world's greatest displacement crises,” nearly nine million people have been forced to flee their homes.
The country has also been hit by hunger, with 24.6 million people – almost half of the population – in need of emergency food aid, experts say.
Earlier this month, the US sanctioned RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo after accusing the group of killing people.
Officials say he is being punished for his role in systematic atrocities against the Sudanese people during the 20-month conflict.
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