Sudanese actress Asia Abdelmajid killed in crossfire in Khartoum

80-year-old was country's first professional stage star

Asia Abdelmajid. Photo: Alfaitory Family

Follow the latest on Sudan here

A well-known Sudanese actress was killed in crossfire in the north of the capital Khartoum on Wednesday.

It is not clear who fired the shot that killed Asia Abdelmajid in her home during clashes in the suburb of Bahri.

Paramilitary fighters of the Rapid Support Forces are fighting from bases in residential areas across the city, while its army rivals tend to attack from the air, the BBC reported.

Abdelmajid was buried in the grounds of a kindergarten where she recently worked. Her family said it was too dangerous to take her to a cemetery.

The actress, who was 80, rose to fame for her theatre performances. She was considered a pioneer of the stage and the country's first professional stage actress. When she retired she became a teacher. She was the widow of Sudan’s acclaimed poet Mohamed Moftah Al Faitory.

Fighting is raging in the capital Khartoum, despite a ceasefire agreement. Residents said the city was violently shaken on Thursday morning by air strikes.

UN chief Antonio Guterres has called on the warring factions to stop the fighting immediately.