Khartoum asks to be given oil pipeline bombers

Sudanese Minister of the Interior Maj. Gen. Abdul Rahim Muhammad Hussein said the government of Khartoum will ask several Arab states to hand over the Sudanese opposition members who are suspected of being involved in the aggression which targeted an oil pipeline in the northern part of the country last Sunday.

The Sudanese minister added that the requests to hand over the opposition members will be sent to several Arab states, but he did not name these states. He added that this measure falls in the course of the Arab anti-terrorism pact signed by some 12 Arab states and approved by the Arab League.

He continued that his government is determined to continue reconciliation efforts with the opposition, but it will proceed in fighting terrorism.

He said 3,000 policemen were deployed along the pipeline, adding that these troops will work to secure the line in association with other forces from the army and the security bodies.

He added that the preliminary investigation of the explosion scene led to the discovery of two badges of the National Liberation army near the explosion area.

The opposition Democratic National Alliance, which includes the both the northern opposition and southern rebels, whose leaders reside in Egypt and Eritrea, had announced its responsibility for the attack on the pipeline, which caused damage to the 1,610 km pipeline that stretches to the Red Sea.