Rebels claim 32 Sudanese troops killed in South Kordofan battle

Forces of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) claim to have killed 32 Sudanese army troops in a battle in the Angarto area northeast of Talodi in North Kordofan. They also claim to have dispersed another military convoy in the Nuba Mountains.

According to SPLM-N spokesman Arno Ngutulu Lodi, “a Joint operation by Mandi sector and mobile forces heavily defeated a military convoy on Tuesday”.

Lodi says that the government forces attempted to occupy the Angarto area. After the battle, the government troops reportedly fled the field, leaving 32 dead and 100 injured behind. The dead include several high-ranking officers. Lodi notes that the bodies of two South Sudanese, one Somali, and one Ethiopian national were found. “They had the currencies of their countries in their pockets. This proves the government is using mercenaries and militias from neighbouring countries to commit crimes against its own people.”

The SPLM-N also captured substantial quantities of materiel, including a tank, trucks, and various arms and ammunition. The rebels suffered one fatality and 18 “slightly wounded”.

“The second convoy attempted to occupy Tembera and Undurdu, but fled the area with one shell fired on them. Our forces chased them but failed to catch them,” says Lodi.