Protesters have taken to the streets of the Sudanese capital Khartoum amid fears of a military coup.

Military forces in the country have placed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok under house arrest and arrested several members of the civilian leadership.

They include Industry Minister Ibrahim al Sheikh, Hamdok’s media advisor as well as Information Minister Hamza Baloul.

Joint military forces holding Hamdok under house arrest were pressuring him to issue a supportive statement, the information ministry said earlier on Monday.

It cited Hamdok calling on the Sudanese people to resist the coup attempt peacefully and “defend their revolution”.

Sudan’s Professional Association led the last civilian protests which saw the ousting of President Omar al Bashir.

It has called on people to take to the streets and resist a military coup.

The attempted coup came after another failed attempt last month, which saw a bitter exchange between the military and the civilian leaders who are sharing power under a transitional arrangement following the ousting of President Omar al Bashir in 2019.

Bashir’s removal was expected to lead to elections in 2023 following constitutional reforms.

Sudanese military and paramilitary forces deployed across the capital, Khartoum, restricting civilians’ movements, as protesters carrying the national flag burnt tires in different areas of the city, a Reuters witness reported.

Khartoum airport was shut, and international flights were suspended, according to Dubai-based al-Arabiya TV channel.

-Additional reporting by Reuters