JUBA, Sudan (AP) - Army and U.N. officials say a militia opposed to the Southern Sudanese government launched an overnight raid on a strategic town but were repulsed by Southern Sudanese forces.
U.N. spokeswoman Hua Jiang said fighting between Sudan People's Liberation Army forces and a militia led by a man known as Capt. Olonyi started outside the capital of the oil-rich border state of Upper Nile in the early hours of Saturday morning.
But she says the southern army repulsed the attack on the city of Malakal.
Casualty figures were not available but army spokesman Col. Philip Aguer says heavy artillery rounds were heard. He confirmed Malakal remained under government control.
Olonyi is a little-known militia leader from a discontented minority ethnic group.