Darfour rebels: 700 government soldiers were killed

A group of rebels in west Sudan announced that it had killed 700 members of the government forces and pro government militias in an ambush, and forced them to retreat, after these forces tried to move forward inside the rebel areas in Darfour.

The rebels alleged that the attack took place on Friday in Saad Abu Jamra area in North Dafour province. Earlier, government officials said that military operations are taking place in the region.

The leader of the Justice And Equality movement rebels, Khalil Ibrahim, said that the government forces were on their way to launch a large attack against al-Teinah border town, but the fighters of the movement blocked the road in al-Sad ( dam) area.

On the other hand, the rebels admitted the killing of 17 out of one thousand fighters, but said it confiscated scores of government tanks and armored vehicles.

The Justice And Equality Movement is one of two main groups of the rebels in the region, and started fighting in February this year in the poor Darfour district. The movement said it wants a rotating presidential regime and self-rule for the area.

This group, however, has no link to the southern rebels of Sudan (Sudan people army liberation army) led by John Garang, who has been fighting against the Sudanese government since more than 20 years. The rebels say that the isolated and arid area of Darfour does not get its fair share of Sudan's national resources.