Khartoum — The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir met at his residence in Khartoum with the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Ramadan Shalah.

Sudan state agency (SUNA) said the two men discussed issues of mutual concern.

It is not clear when Shalah arrived in Sudan.

The PIJ is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, United Kingdom and European Union.

Israel accuses Sudan of serving as a hub for transiting Iranian weapons via the Egyptian Sinai desert to militant groups in Gaza strip including PIJ.

The Jewish state is believed to have launched several airstrikes against targets in Sudan since 2009 including one as recent as last October on a military complex near Khartoum.

In an interview with Qatar-based Al-Jazeera TV last November, the PIJ chief acknowledged that Iran is the main source of weapons used by his organization.