This operation coincided with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the army’s commander, preparing to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Witnesses reported intense bombardments and clashes as army troops sought to cross bridges over the Nile to connect the three cities of Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri.
While the army had regained some territory in Omdurman earlier this year, it has primarily depended on artillery and air support and struggled to dislodge the more effectively positioned RSF ground forces in other areas of the capital.
Recent months have seen the RSF continue to gain ground in various regions of Sudan, exacerbating a severe humanitarian crisis that has displaced over 10 million people and left many areas facing extreme hunger or famine.
Diplomatic initiatives by the United States and other nations have stalled, as the army declined to participate in discussions held last month in Switzerland.