Khartoum denies fall of Darfour capital to rebels

The Sudanese army on Friday denied that al-Fasher, the capital of Darfour state ( Northern west Sudan) had fallen in the hands of the rebels of southern Sudan as the rebels had confirmed on Friday morning.

The spokesman for the Sudanese armed forces Muhammad Bashir Suleinman said that the army intercepted an attack by the rebels movement in the city. In a statement published by the office of the spokesman that said that the armed forces intercepted a group of armed outlaws which sneaked earlier in the day into al-Fasher. An official at Suleiman's office said that al-Fasher's airport "is under our full support," adding that "several rebels were arrested." The statement added that "security was restored back to al-Fasher, giving no remarks to losses in the lines of the two sides."

The secretary general of the rebels Mani Manawi who recently appeared in Darfour announced earlier on Friday that the "Movement has seized the capital of Darfour in the south of Sudan."