‘SAF launches attack on Eid morning’

SPLM in South Kordofan says civilians in several localities displaced as a result

The Sudanese Air Force (SAF) launched attacks on several areas of South Kordofan on Tuesday, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in South Kordofan told Radio Dabanga.The air strikes that took place on the morning of Eid ul-Fitr led to the fleeing of civilians from those areas, thus robbing away their opportunity to offer prayers on the special occasion which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Qamar Dahlman, media advisor to the head of the SPLM-North, said on Tuesday, “The bombing coincided with the beginning of intensive military operations by government forces in areas of the Nuba Mountains.”

Dahlman said that the Sudanese government’s militia had also killed a civilian by the name Mohammed Murad, who is the son of a local leader in Elsabi area.

Dahlman also revealed that government forces had been targeting the village Dahliba in Elsabi area since Monday morning. The militia men had employed terrorizing tactics such as beating and torturing citizens. Dahlman added that government forces had also arrested a few civilians in the village.

‘200 SPLA soldiers dealt with’

The Sudanese government claimed on Tuesday that it had ‘dealt with’ nearly 200 soldiers belonging to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) in South Kordofan.

The soldiers were said to have entered the areas of Elfaid Um Abdulla and Khor Eldeleib  area and were trying to gain entry into Tommy, El Mansoora and Um Biro areas.

Col Alsoarma Khaled Saad, the Sudanese military spokesperson, said they had also tackled another attack by the SPLA on Elsabi area in Delenj locality.

The SPLA in Southern Kordofan, however, strongly denied this. Nimeiri Coco Sulaiman, field commander of the SPLA told Radio Dabanga, “What the military spokesperson said is totally false all the areas referred to by him are entirely controlled by the SPLA and aren’t under government control.”

Nimeiri Suleiman stressed that the government troops attacked the SPLA in the areas under its control but the SPLA could defend itself against the attacks.