‘100 rebels killed and injured in recent S Darfur clashes’ -Sudan army

The spokesman of the Sudanese army, Col. Al Sawarmi Khalid, stated that the armed forces ‘killed and injured a hundred rebels’ in two recent clashes which took place south of Nyala on Thursday and Friday.According to the Sudanese Media Center, affiliated to the security apparatus, Al Sawarmi confirmed that the army ‘lost several lives’ in the battle, without mentioning an exact number. The spokesman explained: “after spotting rebels in Umm Gunja and Abga Radji in South Darfur, the armed forces moved from the area of Galdi and Kashalango where they attacked the rebels and seized eight of their vehicles”. He added that when the troops returned to their bases, the rebels attempted to ambush them but that they managed to repel the attack and destroy 14 of their vehicles and killed and injured about 100 rebels in the two battles.However, the spokesman of the rebel group Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) strongly denied El-Sawarmi’s statements and described his words as ‘military propaganda to boost the morale of the defeated troops’.’Wishful thinking’ Adam Saleh Abkar, military spokesman of the SLM-MM, informed Radio Dabanga that Al Sawarmi’s statements are ‘wishful thinking’ and ‘have nothing to do with reality’. He reiterated that the rebels killed about 90 Sudanese soldiers and pro-government militants and captured two officers during last week’s battles; Major Mohamed Ahmed Fadel and Lieutenant Osman Mohamed Ahmed.The spokesman explained that the rebels killed 170 Sudanese soldiers in Friday’s battle which took place in Abga Radji as well as capturing an officer ranked colonel, Jamal Mohamed Ahmed Sayed, and an officer ranked captain, Abdullah Hassan Breema. Abkar added that the total number of prisoners amounts to 31, including the five officers. He stressed that the movement will hand over the prisoners to the Red Cross. The spokesman said that the movement lost three of its men in the battle and that six others were injured, explaining the men were ‘lightly injured’. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, the spokesman claimed that government forces and its militias set ablaze several villages south of Nyala, including the village of Abga Radji, Tabaldia, El Sant El Madrasa and others.He explained that the Sudanese Air Forces dropped several bombs on the village of Hujair, leaving a number of homes burnt and five people injured; among them three children. File photoRelated:‘260 Sudan soldiers, militias killed’ in fresh S Darfur clashes –rebels (15 March 2013)