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Sudan 'drives Darfur rebels back' | Sudan 'drives Darfur rebels back' |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Sudan says rebels from Darfur have now retreated from Omdurman, the capital Khartoum's twin city across the Nile, which came under attack on Saturday. | |
A senior official said searches were under way in Khartoum for individuals thought to be insiders who may have helped the insurgents. | |
State television said earlier that at least 100 people had been arrested. | State television said earlier that at least 100 people had been arrested. |
A rebel commander said the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem) fighters was ready to strike again. | |
Sudan's government has also cut off diplomatic ties with Chad, blaming it for helping rebels launch the attack. | |
Both Chad and the Jem denied working together to launch the assault on Omdurman, which the rebels said they had taken control of. | |
'Practice' attack | |
Official media said government forces were hunting down rebel forces and seizing arms and explosives. A senior Jem commander and a 45-strong force had been killed, they added. | |
Sudan has offered a reward of $125,000 (£64,000) for Jem leader Khalid Ibrahim's capture and information that leads to his arrest. | |
A curfew in Khartoum has been lifted but remained in force in Omdurman. | |
Announcing the break with Chad, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said his country reserved the right to retaliate. | |
But a Jem spokesman, Dr Eltahir Adam Elfaki, told the BBC the group had acted without Chad's help, arming itself with captured Sudanese equipment. | |
Chad said it regretted Sudan's "hasty decision" to break off diplomatic ties. | |
Suleiman Sandal, a Jem commander, told Western news agencies on Sunday that his forces were prepared to attack the capital again. | |
"This was just practice," he told the Associated Press by telephone. | |
"We promise to hit Khartoum one more time unless the [Darfur] issue is resolved." | |
Speaking to AFP, Mr Sandal said his forces had engaged in urban warfare for the first time, and had suffered casualties. He gave no details. | |
"Now we are gathering our troops and thinking about what we're doing," he added. | |
'No security' | 'No security' |
JEM REBELS Founded by Darfuri Muslims loyal to Islamist leader Hassan al-TurabiLed by lawyer Khalil Ibrahim MuhammadBelieved to have up to 3,000 fightersNow said to have fragmented into several disparate groups Sudan's Darfur rebels | JEM REBELS Founded by Darfuri Muslims loyal to Islamist leader Hassan al-TurabiLed by lawyer Khalil Ibrahim MuhammadBelieved to have up to 3,000 fightersNow said to have fragmented into several disparate groups Sudan's Darfur rebels |
On Saturday, Jem rebels said they had taken Omdurman and the Wadi Saidna air force base about 16km (10 miles) north of Khartoum, and entered the capital itself. | |
Omdurman residents said there had been more fighting on Sunday morning. | Omdurman residents said there had been more fighting on Sunday morning. |
Experts say Chad and Sudan are fighting a proxy war using each other's rebels to achieve their military objectives. | Experts say Chad and Sudan are fighting a proxy war using each other's rebels to achieve their military objectives. |
The Jem is one of several rebel groups fighting the government and pro-government Janjaweed militia in the western Darfur region since 2003 over alleged discrimination by the authorities in favour of Arabs. | The Jem is one of several rebel groups fighting the government and pro-government Janjaweed militia in the western Darfur region since 2003 over alleged discrimination by the authorities in favour of Arabs. |
The rebels have been involved in raids on government forces in the area before. | The rebels have been involved in raids on government forces in the area before. |
Are you in Sudan? Have you been affected by the latest fighting? Send your comments using the form below: | Are you in Sudan? Have you been affected by the latest fighting? Send your comments using the form below: |