Abdel Fattah Burhan

There is a high biohazard in the Sudanese capital Khartoum after one of the warring sides seized a laboratory that stored measles and cholera pathogens and other dangerous materials, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned today.

American embassy staffers were airlifted from Sudan early Sunday, as forces loyal to rival generals battled for control of Africa's third-largest nation for a ninth day amid fading hopes for deescalation.

The warring sides said they were helping coordinate the evacuation of foreigners, though continued exchanges of fire in Sudan's capital undermined those claims.

The Sudanese army said Saturday it was coordinating efforts to evacuate American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan on military aircraft, as the bloody fighting that has engulfed the vast African nation entered its second week.

The Sudanese army and rival forces they have been battling since the weekend, agreed Tuesday to a temporary, 24-hour cease-fire, Arab media reports said.