Sudanese police downplays explosion inside apartment in Khartoum

The Sudanese police on Sunday downplayed an explosion that earlier took place inside an apartment at a neighborhood of the Sudanese capital Khartoum.

"A simple explosion took place inside an apartment due to a home-made bomb that a particular defendant started to build before it explodes," said Sudanese police in a statement.

"The materials seized are not considered highly explosives as appeared in the light effects left at the scene of the incident," it added.

The police further said it found inside the apartment local materials used in making home-made explosives along with foreign passports.

It reiterated that it would resolve the crime and arrest the defendants within hours.

The Sudanese police raided on Sunday an apartment inhabited by foreigners in the neighborhood of Arkaweet, east of Sudan's capital Khartoum.

According to eyewitnesses, the police arrested foreigners with a mass of weapons and explosives and is still surrounding the area after hearing a sound of explosion.

"This morning we heard a powerful explosion in a nearby apartment, and then the police forces arrived at the area," a resident told Xinhua near the site of the raid.

"We saw the police taking a number of foreigners who were residing in the place, and I think Syrians, Somalis and other Arab nationals were among them," he said.

According to Xinhua correspondent in Khartoum, the police are still imposing a security cordon around the area of the incident and preventing traffic around it. Endit