Sudanese army repulses rebel attack on strategic area in South Kordofan
June 29, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said it had repulsed an attack carried out by the rebel Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) to retake strategic areas in South Kordofan.
The SPLM-N said they had carried out an attack against government forces in Alatmor, in its second bid to retake the strategic area located east of the state capital Kadugli, following its capture by the SAF earlier this month.
SPLM-N spokesperson Arnu Ngutulu Loddi on Saturday said they had inflicted heavy casualties on government troops, killing 15 soldiers and destroying a tank T-55 and six vehicles.
SAF spokesperson, Alsawarmi Khaled Saad, said the SPLM-N launched a desperate attack to retake Alatmor after being driven out of it by SAF on June 6.
He said in statements posted on the Sudanese Defense Ministry website that SAF repulsed the attack and seized military equipments and vehicles, pointing they killed 50 SPLM-N fighters and injured many others.
Alatmor is located between Um Sirdiba and Dalko, to the east of South Kordofan state capital, Kadugli. It is considered a strategic area and advanced position towards Kauda, a rebel stronghold in the Nuba Mountains.
Meanwhile, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) spokesperson, Al-Nazeer Mohamed Abakar, said the rebel troops which were driven out of Alatmor shelled Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan state using 120 mm mortar which led to the injury of three children.
He said the rebels aimed to make a media bang to cover their recent defeats, adding that SAF and RSF managed to disperse the rebel forces and seize large quantities of military equipment.
SAF had earlier announced that rebels cannot attack Kadugli following victories it achieved in the eastern areas.
The Sudanese army and its militias intensified attacks on the SPLM-N rebels in South Kordofan in a large counterinsurgency campaign called “Decisive Summer”.
The border states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile state have been the scene of violent conflict since 2011 when the SPLM-N launched an insurgency against the Khartoum regime.
Peace talks between the two parties remain deadlocked after they failed to reach a common ground for negotiations. While the government says it is only willing to discuss the conflict in the Two Areas, the SPLM-N is demanding a comprehensive peace process.
(ST)