SPLM-N: 27 army officers and 3 rebels dead

Arnu Ngutulu Lodi, spokesman of the Sudan People Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) announced the movement killed 27 soldiers belonging to the Sudanese army during a battle in Daldoko, northeast of Kadugli, South Kordofan.He also said the rebels lost three men during the same battle that took place on Monday, 10 December. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, Lodi declared that the Sudanese army tried occupying Daldoko, but that the rebels “repelled” the forces.Besides the dozens of casualties, the spokesman affirmed that 11 rebels were wounded and three army officers were captured during the clashes. The three prisoners, according to Lodi, are: soldier Mustafa Idris Belal Adam, from tribe Fur in Tandalti; soldier Mohamed Abdorahim Ibrahim Joma, from tribe Hamar in North Kordofan; and soldier Mohamed Hamad Mohamed Hamad, from tribe Hamdi Umdoban. Additionally the rebel movement claims to have seized seven tanks from the army, five of which in good condition, while the other two were destroyed. Besides, two “big cars” were reportedly confiscated, and three mounted Land Cruisers, one was in good condition and the other two were destroyed.  Air strikes Lodi declared to Radio Dabanga that the Sudanese government carried out air strikes in different villages of South Kordofan on Saturday. He asserted that four bombs were dropped in Kauda injuring three civilians, and killing five goats and two donkeys. In addition, another four bombs were dropped in Werne, where farms were destroyed. On the same day, Lodi continued, Umm Serdiba and Al-Atmur were hit by nine bombs, all of which landed on farms.  On Monday the federal government allegedly tried capturing the village of Daldoko after launching an attack from two different directions and in different times.The spokesman asserted that the army used 100 tanks and 100 vehicles to carry out the attack, which was stopped by the SPLM-N forces. Lastly, Lodi claimed that at 7am on Tuesday a convoy composed of the Sudanese army and of pro-government militias attacked the villages of Kaluba and Trawa, in Rashad locality.However, the SPLM-N forced the convoy to retreat to a nearby forest, the spokesman told Radio Dabanga.  “Ethnic cleansing” The SPLM-N declared the government of Sudan will continue with its “ethnic cleansing program”, adding the rebels will follow the army to the center Kadugli, from where war crime campaigns against innocent civilians are launched. Lodi asserted that the Sudan Revolutionary Front will continue to defend and protect unarmed civilians against attacks carried out by the Khartoum regime.Radio Dabanga file photoSee also: SPLM-N: ‘bombings kill one and injure three’ (6 December 2012)