The Saudi foreign ministry blamed armed groups for storming and vandalising the building in Khartoum, adding that the property and housing of Saudi employees had also been vandalised.

Saudi Arabia, along with the US, has taken a leading role in trying to engage with the warring sides since the conflict erupted in mid-April.

The kingdom totally rejected “all forms of violence and vandalism against diplomatic missions and representations", the foreign ministry statement said.

It also stressed the importance of confronting groups that it said were trying to undermine the restoration of stability and security in Sudan.

The statement, posted on Twitter, did not specify which groups were behind the attack.

The warring factions involve the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) group - the two falling out since taking power together in a coup in October 2021.

Saudi media outlets have sought to maintain a neutral stance in their coverage of the conflict. On Thursday, Saudi news website Al Arabiya reported that last month the army had said it could no longer provide protection for diplomatic missions, accusing the RSF of attacking embassies.

Until last week, Saudi Arabia had been hosting ceasefire talks in Jeddah between the rivals.

A frequently violated humanitarian truce, which began on 22 May, officially expired on Saturday evening.

The US secretary of state was in Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Wednesday where the two countries again pledged to continue efforts to end the fighting which is now in its seventh week.

Smoke plumes billow from a fire at a lumber warehouse in southern Khartoum amidst ongoing fighting on June 7, 2023