S. Darfur deputy: 70 SRF soldiers dead

The deputy of South Darfur announced that Sudanese military troops killed about 70 Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) soldiers during the recent clashes between Tabit and Shangil Tobai, in East Jebel Marra, North Darfur.The deputy, Abdul Karim Musa, added that 12 government troops were also killed during the fighting and that some others got injured. He added that government troops destroyed eight Land Cruisers belonging to the SRF. Musa, who is also the Minister of physical planning and public utilities, released this information during a press statement on Saturday, 29 September in Nyala, South Darfur. He revealed the South Darfur government will send military reinforcement to the battle’s location to collect vehicles left in the area and to chase the SRF.Sources said that the clashes from last Thursday, 27 September, took place because the SRF ambushed a convoy belonging to the South Darfur government. They said this convoy was protecting 440 vehicles carrying goods to be distributed over the four states (East, West, Central and South Darfur). In addition, sources said that 180 of these vehicles were carrying fuel.The convoy was traveling from Omdurman via El-Fasher, North Darfur, to Nyala, it was reported. SRF: 84 government troops killed On its turn, the SRF announced that as a result of last Thursday’s battle, 84 government troops were killed and several got injured. In addition, they claimed to have seized 23 small vehicles carrying light and heavy munition, three trucks, fuel and four trucks loaded with munition and other supplies.See also: Darfur rebels kill dozens government troops (28 September 2012)