In the latest crackdown against protests in Sudan, security services loyal to President Omar al-Bashir have killed at least 14 anti-government protesters taking part in a mass sit-in outside the army headquarters in the capital, Khartoum, according to activists behind the demonstration.
Tuesday's deaths brought the total number of people killed during the protests since it started on Saturday to 22, including five soldiers who were killed while defending the protesters, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD), said in a statement.
The CCSD, which is affiliated with the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), the umbrella group at the forefront of the demonstrations, said 153 others were wounded. It said it expects the death toll to increase since some injuries were critical.
The government on Monday put the death toll since the weekend at seven.
The sit-in outside the complex, which also houses Bashir's official residence, is the latest in a succession of anti-government demonstrations which have plunged Sudan into a major political crisis.
The protests organised by doctors, teachers and lawyers, among others erupted in December over rising bread prices before morphing into demands for the president to step down after three decades in power. More than 60 people have been killed since the demonstrations began, according to activists.
Protest organisers alleged forces belonging to the widely-feared National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) used tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition in a bid to disperse the thousands of demonstrators who have camped out at the Khartoum complex, prompting some members of the army to attempt to protect those demonstrating.
Protesters and the opposition Sudanese Congress Party (SCP) have called on the country's military leadership to abandon Bashir, whose power base is within the armed forces.
They insist, that they do not want a coup but the army to join their demand for the establishment of a transitional government.
We keep asking for the army to protect this revolution and keep it peaceful, SPA spokeswoman Sara Abdeljaleel said.
SCP secretary-general Khalid Omer Yousif said the army had no other option but to respond positively to the demands of the people, warning to do otherwise could unleash further unrest.
The leadership of the army, if they delay their response to the demands of the people and the call of the opposition, are endangering the unity of the army itself and this will lead the country into chaos.
On Monday, Sudan's Defence Minister General Awad Ibnouf had said that the military understood the reasons for the demonstrations against Bashir but would not allow mayhem to take hold.
History will not forgive if the armed forces let the country lose its security, Ibnouf said at a meeting of top military brass.
He also denied there were any divisions between the military and the NISS, saying the two were coordinating on how to deal with the protests.
Foreign governments have called on Sudan's leadership to deliver a credible plan for political transition.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, the embassies of the United States, Norway and the United Kingdom in Sudan said the time has come for the Sudanese authorities to respond to these popular demands in a serious and credible way.
There remains a clear need for political and economic reform in Sudan that is fully inclusive, and which addresses the legitimate grievances expressed by the protesters, the joint statement said.
Economic stability cannot be achieved without first reaching political consensus and political consensus cannot be achieved by imprisoning, shooting, and criminalising peaceful protesters, it added.
Despite the rising pressure, the 75-year-old leader has so far refused to step down. He has responded to the unrest with harsh measures, including a state of emergency declared in February, that have seen protesters, opposition leaders, activists and journalists detained.
Critics accuse him of mismanaging Sudan's economy, resulting in high food prices, regular fuel shortages and widespread cash shortages.
The president, who took power in a 1989 coup, has acknowledged that the economic concerns raised by protesters are legitimate but says his opponents should seek power through the ballot box when his term ends in 2020.
Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of alleged war crimes and genocide connected with the suppression of a 16-year-old ethnic minority rebellion in the western region of Darfur.
Four months after the anger at high bread and fuel prices generated mass protests in Sudan, the rallies have evolved into demands for an end to the 30-year-rule of President Omar al-Bashir.
For the first time on Saturday, protesters got as far as army headquarters in the capital, Khartoum, a complex which also houses al-Bashir's residence.
Some soldiers stepped in to protect demonstrators against tear gas from riot police and intelligence service agents. However, army commanders have so far resisted calls to help remove al-Bashir.
Sudan's police have ordered officers not to intervene against thousands of protesters who have demonstrated outside the army HQ in the capital, Khartoum, since Friday.
The protesters demand the resignation of President Omar al-Bashir.
Earlier, heavy gunfire was heard outside the HQ and there were reports soldiers protecting protesters had shot at government security agents.
The US, UK and Norway have called on Sudan to plan a political transition.
A spokesman said in a statement that police had ordered all forces not to intervene against the citizens or peaceful rallies.
We call on God to preserve the security and calm of our country and to unite the Sudanese people for an agreement which would support the peaceful transition of power, the statement said.
Previous attempts to break up the crowds have led to reports of soldiers intervening to protect protesters from National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) agents.
At least two soldiers are reported to have died since the demonstrations outside the HQ began.
The country's interior minister said on Monday that seven protesters had been killed and 15 injured, while 42 members of the security forces had been injured. He added that almost 2,500 people had been arrested.
Tear gas and live bullets had been used by NISS agents against protesters, soldiers had provided sanctuary for protesters within their compound.
It is pointless for Omar al-Bashir to continue using his thugs to get us off the streets as we are not going anywhere,protesters said.
Protesters said not everyone in the army supported the protest movement; the highest ranks tended to support the government, while lower ranks backed the protesters.
Dramatic video emerged on Monday showing soldiers firing at an unclear target as civilians took cover behind them. The protesters said the soldiers were responding to gunfire from NISS agents.
There have been calls urging Sudan's government to refrain from using force against civilians.
The so-called troika on Sudan made up of the US, UK and Norway has urged the government to respond to the demonstrators' demands in a serious and credible way.
Failing to do so risks causing greater instability. The Sudanese leadership has a grave responsibility to avoid such an outcome, it said in a statement.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged all parties to exercise utmost restraint and avoid violence.
Protests against Mr Bashir, who has governed Sudan since 1989, have been under way for several months.
They were originally sparked by a rise in the cost of living, but demonstrators are now calling for the president to resign and his government to go.
The protesters want the armed forces to withdraw their support for the government. Representatives of the protesters say they are seeking talks with the army regarding the formation of a transitional government.
Omar el-Digeir, a senior protest member said the group were seeking a path that represents the wish of the revolution.
Monday marked the third night of the sit-in, despite security force efforts to disperse the group.
The government has been criticised by rights groups for a heavy-handed response to the unrest.
Government officials admit 38 people have died since the unrest began in December, but the pressure group Human Rights Watch says the number is higher.
Mr Bashir's rule has been blighted by accusations of human rights abuses. He is subject to an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant over accusations of of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The US imposed sanctions against the country more than 20 years ago, accusing Khartoum of sponsoring terror groups.
Last year, the Sudanese pound fell rapidly in value and inflation rose. The government then announced the price of fuel and bread would rise, sparking protests.
In February, it looked as though the president might step down, but instead Mr Bashir declared a state of national emergency.
The latest protests mark the 34th anniversary of the coup that overthrew the regime of former President Jaafar Nimeiri.
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