WASHINGTON Ñ The United States has alleged that the regime in Khartoum has violated its ceasefire accord with Sudanese rebels in the Nuba mountains.

U.S. officials said despite the ceasefire agreed to last month Sudanese air force jets have bombed civilians facilities. They said the Sudanese air raid violated a pledge relayed to U.S. envoy John Danforth during his visit to Khartoum in January.

The Sudanese attack took place on Sunday in Akuem in the state of Bahr Ghazal in southern Sudan. Officials said six Sudanese children died when air force planes dropped bombs on a relief facility.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the United States was outraged at the Sudanese air strike. Boucher said Kharoum had pledged to suspend bombings of civilian targets for a period of four weeks.

"The United States is outraged by the government of Sudan's aerial strike against a civilian target in the south of the country," Boucher said.

"This horrific and senseless attack indicates that the pattern of deliberately targeting civilians and humanitarian operations continues."

Boucher said civilians were receiving food during the Sudanese air attack. He said the relief facility, operated by the World Food Program, was approved by the Khartoum government.

U.S. officials said the attack highlighted the failure of the Danforth mission. They said the U.S. envoy was unable to obtain a Sudanese pledge to permanently end bombing raids on relief agency facilities in southern Sudan.

Sudan has agreed to implement a ceasefire in the Nuba mountains. But differences remain regarding expanding the area of the ceasefire and the composition of international monitors.

For their part, Sudanese rebels said 29 government troops were killed in an attack on early Monday. They said the rebel attack took place on the Shaloub military camp about 35 kilometers from the southern town of Kasla. Sudanese officials refused to confirm the report.

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