SPLA-N fighters repel new attack by government forces in S. Kordofan

December 19, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese government troops launched a fresh attack on rebel positions in South Kordofan state on Friday, but were subsequently driven back, a military statement said.

According to statement issued by the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N) on Friday, forces from the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) had “attempted to capture Daloka area, which lies 8km south to [the state capital] Kadugli, but it was defeated before the sunset”.

The rebel group, which has been fighting the army in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states for the past three years, said it had inflicted heavy losses on the government forces and its militias .

The SPLA-N command said its fighters managed to destroy a SAF tank (T-55), adding the attackers fled the area and left six bodies on the battlefield.

The SAF spokesperson was not available for comment.

Last week, the SPLA-N rebels said they recaptured three areas near Kadugli .

The Sudanese government official recently declared the resumption of military campaign on the rebel group in the two southern states and vowed to crush the rebels after the failure of talks on a cessation of hostilities brokered by the African Union.

In an update released Friday, the South Kordofan and Blue Nile Coordination Unit (SKBNCU) ,a humanitarian group working in the SPLA-N controlled areas, reported even bombing raids in South Kordofan during November 2014.

SAF warplanes dropped “more than 100 bombs in 12 different villages, resulting in the damage and destruction of more than 40 households, as well as the deaths of three civilians”.

(ST)