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Chad: Army retakes eastern town from rebels-govt
(SomaliNet) The Chadian government said Friday that Chad's army retook the eastern town of Biltine after launching a counter-attack against rebels who briefly occupied it in their military campaign against Chadian President Idriss Deby.
UFDD spokesman Ali Moussa Izzo said by satellite phone that the rebels had pulled out of the town but were controlling the area around it. "To avoid a battle in the town we withdrew," Izzo said.
”Our defence and security forces are pursuing the rebels,” Chadian Defense Minister Bichara Issa Djadallah told reporters.

Meanwhile, the rebel Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (UFDD) said on Thursday its fighters had moved into the town, the capital of the eastern Biltine prefecture, without encountering any serious resistance from government troops. On Friday, UFDD spokesman Ali Moussa Izzo said by satellite phone that the rebels had pulled out of the town but were controlling the area around it. "To avoid a battle in the town we withdrew," Izzo said.

The Chadian defense minister said government forces had killed 50 rebels and captured 30. He put government losses at 10 dead and said 10 rebel vehicles were destroyed and 10 captured.-Reuters reported.
Posted by: Fred 2006-12-10
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=174555