npr:

A military council has taken control of Sudan and arrested longtime President Omar al-Bashir, the country’s military said Thursday. The move comes after opposition protesters recently gained new momentum in demanding al-Bashir leave office.

Sudan’s defense minister, Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf, said the “regime” had been removed and its head arrested, as he announced the coup in a televised statement.

The minister said a transitional military council will rule the country for two years.

Protesters have been calling for al-Bashir’s ouster for months. Thousands swelled the capital Khartoum’s streets as the military promised to make an important announcement earlier Thursday.

Sudan’s Military Says It Has Taken Control And Arrested President Omar Al-Bashir

Photo: AFP/Getty Images