Rebels from western Sudan claim they have killed 621 government troops in a two-day battle in the Dafur region.
| If those numbers aren't inflated, we'd better sign those guys up for the coalition. We need them, like maybe in southeastern Afghanistan... |
A government armed forces statement issued late on Friday night confirmed that a number of soldiers were killed or wounded when they thwarted an attack by "bandits" in a "fiercesome battle", but gave no figures.
| Maybe the numbers aren't exaggerated, huh? |
The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), one of two main rebel groups waging a revolt in Darfur since February, said fighters ambushed a force of 4500 to 5000 government troops and militiamen known as Janjaweed. The troops were advancing towards the rebel-held town of Tina on the Chad border. "We killed 621 of them and shot down two helicopters. Many of them fled to Chad across the border," JEM Secretary-General Muhamad Bashir Ahmad told journalists by telephone from Darfur. He said 27 rebel fighters were killed in the battle which began on December 25 near Kulbus town, about 120 km north of El Geneina, capital of Western Darfur state. The battle was a joint attack by JEM and the other main rebel group, the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), he added. The SLA, which confirmed the attack, signed a ceasefire with Khartoum in September but peace talks in Chad between the two sides broke down earlier this month with both sides blaming each other. |