The Sudanese army clashed with rebels in the western region of Darfur in fighting that killed 15 insurgents and two government soldiers, army spokesman Al- Sawarmi Khaled said.
Army units attacked the Sudan Liberation Army faction led by Abdel Wahid Nour in the Jebel Marra region on March 8 after the group attempted to ambush the army, Khaled said today by phone from Khartoum, Sudan’s capital.
“The army is clearing the area of these rebels,” Khaled said. “We will continue chasing these people away and secure the area.”
Fighting in Darfur erupted in 2003 when insurgents took up arms, accusing the government of neglecting the region. The conflict has led to the deaths of as many as 300,000 people, mainly due to illness and starvation, and forced about 2.7 million to flee their homes, according to United Nations estimates. The Sudanese government has put the death toll at about 10,000.
Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of responsibility for genocide and war crimes in Darfur. He denies the charges.