Liberation Army, military both claim win in Darfur fighting

An alliance of factions of the Sudan Liberation Army acknowledged continued fighting with the government Tuesday and claimed victory. The army likewise acknowledged the fighting and said it killed 15 rebels. The fighting has lasted three days in the area near Tabit, south of El Fasher. Troops loyal to Ali Karbino, Minni Minawi and Abdel Wahid Al Nur participated in the fighting.In a statement, the rebels said that they had shot down a helicopter on the outskirts of El Fasher (vicinity of Shalla Mosque) yesterday. But the army did not admit this, saying only that one of its helicopters suffered a technical failure and was forced to land near the airport at El Fasher. The Armed Forces stressed that all the crew are safe. The military acknowledged in a statement issued by the spokesman Al Sawarmi Khalid Saad that it fought in battles against a coalition of Darfuri movements in the areas of Tabit and Tutumarre.

The army said it killed 15 rebels and seized a number of vehicles while destroying another. For its part, the movement of Minni Minawi denied that the government defeated the rebel alliance in the two battles. Jumaa Mohamed Haggar, commanding general of the Minawi faction, told Radio Dabanga that the rebels killed more than 75 government troops and seized 5 vehicles loaded with weapons. They also destroyed tanks and 10 other vehicles loaded with various weapons. Haggar told Radio Dabanga that the renewed clashes with government forces on Tuesday near Tabit resulted in the government forces retreating to the area of Shangil Tobaya.