By Muhammed Amin and Omer Erdem</p> <p>KHARTOUM, Sudan (AA) – Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has stepped down, military sources claimed on Thursday, in wake of continued calls for his resignation. </p> <p>Bashir is now under house arrest and his bodyguards have been detained, local media reported. </p> <p>Meanwhile, Sudanese military intelligence rounded up more than 100 executives of the ruling National Congress Party. </p> <p>Among those arrested were former Defense Minister Abdel Rahim Mohammed Hussein, former Vice President Ali Osman Taha and ruling party head Ahmed Haroun.</p> <p>Sudanese troops have also been deployed around the state TV building, and some soldiers reportedly entered the building in Omdurman, the country’s second largest city.</p> <p>Reports also said that flights at Sudan's Khartoum International Airport have been suspended while only landings on airport are being allowed.</p> <p>Earlier, Sudan's state TV announced that army would make an important announcement soon.</p> <p>Hundreds of Sudanese protesters on Wednesday staged a sit-in outside army headquarters in the capital for the fifth day in a row amid continued calls for President Omar al-Bashir to step down.</p> <p>Since Saturday, at least 22 people have been killed in clashes between demonstrators and security forces, which have repeatedly tried to disperse the sit-in by force, according to the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors.</p> <p>The police, for their part, said that only a single protester was killed.</p> <p>Sudan has been shaken by protests since last December, with demonstrators demanding the departure of al-Bashir, who has ruled Sudan since 1989.
*Writing by Nilay Kar Onum
