FILE - In this May 2, 2019, file photo, Sudanese protesters wave national flags at the sit-in outside the military headquarters, in Khartoum, Sudan. Explosions and machine gunfire were heard in Sudan's capital early Monday, June 3, 2019, and troops blocked roads in an apparent move against a sit-in camp where protesters have demanded an end to military rule. An Associated Press journalist saw smoke rising from the area early Monday and civilians being detained.(AP Photos/Salih Basheer, File)

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Sudanese security forces moved against a protest sit-in camp in the capital today, besieging the site, torching tents and clashing with activists, said witnesses and protest leaders.

Gunfire and explosions were heard, and smoke rose from the area.

At least five people were killed and more than 200 wounded, many by gunfire, according the Sudan Doctors’ Committee and a hospital doctor.

“Wounded people are lying on the ground the reception area as there are not enough beds,” said Azza al-Kamel, a doctor at the Royal Care hospital near the sprawling sit-in area outside the military headquarters in the capital, Khartoum.

Protest leaders urged supporters to rush to the site, and called for civil disobedience. The embassies of the United States and Britain expressed concern about reported attacks on civilians.

Sudan’s ruling military council confirmed clashes erupted between troops and protesters. Shams al-Deen al-Kabashi, a spokesman for the council, said in televised remarks that the military was targeting an area near the sit-in site, considered problematic by the authorities because of alleged criminal activity.

He said people from that area moved to the main protest site, leading to clashes. He did not say if the military’s goal was to break up the entire sit-in camp.

The military’s move came after a weeks-long standoff with protesters seeking a speedy transition to civilian rule following the April ouster of long-time strongman Omar al-Bashir.

Tens of thousands of protesters have been camped since April 6 outside the military’s headquarters, the epicenter of Sudan’s uprising that led to the military overthrow of al-Bashir. Protesters vowed to remain in the streets after Bashir’s ouster, saying an end to his 30-year rule did not go far enough.

Protest leaders and military officials have been negotiating over the makeup of a transitional government, as protesters call for “limited military representation” in a sovereign council that would lead the country as it transitions to civilian rule over three years.

Both sides are split over the makeup and leadership of the council, with the ruling generals refusing to relinquish power.

Today’s move by the military began in the early morning.

Dura Gambo, an activist, said large numbers of troops had besieged the sit-in area and arrested protesters trying to leave. “They have used the heavy rain yesterday and moved in the early morning to disperse people,” she said.

Amal al-Zein, another activist, said security forces set fire to the tents in sit-in area. “They are surrounding the sit-in from all directions,” she said.

The Sudan Doctors’ Committee said medical personnel and injured people were trapped in clinics in the area.