Both sides claim upper hand in fighting in Sudanese south

Deputy chairman of the Coordination Council for Southern Sudan Anglo Beida on Wednesday said that Sudanese government forces killed 45 fighters from the Sudanese People's Liberation Army, led by Col. John Garang. These killings came in battles that took place in the far south of the country.

Beida added government forces were able to seize two tanks and large amounts of weapons and ammunition. He indicated a massing-up of SPLA forces and their allies on the Ugandan borders.

For its part, the Sudanese opposition said that some 25 government soldiers and five of its own fighters were killed in an attack launched on Tuesday by opposition forces against Awad camp, 12 km outside the city of Kasla.