57 killed, 6 villages burnt in Sudan army attack: Darfur rebels

The Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahed Al Nur announced that 57 people were killed and 25 others wounded during an offensive by the Sudanese government in central Darfur.SLM, which initiated its rebellion in 2003, controls the highlands of central Darfur. The movement said that six entire villages were burnt in East Jebel Marra by intensive aerial bombardment by government aircraft that were supporting ground troops in the region.

Nimr Abdelrahman, military spokesman of the movement, told Radio Dabanga on Tuesday that the rebels defeated the attacking forces and destroyed seven military vehicles belonging to the government. They also captured three soldiers.

Radio Dabanga was unable to contact the army for comment on this news.

The rebel spokesman called on the UN Security Council, the European Union and the United States of America to investigate independently the intensive aerial bombardment by the government on the villages of the Jebel Marra mountains and the burning of six of them and killing 75 citizens.

The UN Security Council has voted to forbid Sudan from conducting offensive aerial operations in Darfur. Nimr Abdelrahman reasoned that if the government denies his allegations then an international investigation should ascertain the truth.