CAIRO Ñ Sudan's military continues to send troops, including Islamic
militants, for an imminent offensive in the south.
Officials said Khartoum is amassing forces from the military and
pro-government Islamic militias in an effort to recapture a strategic town
near the
Blue Nile. Sudan's military withdrew from the town of Torit last week amid
heavy shelling by the rebel Sudanese People's Liberation Army, Middle East Newsline reported.
The troops being sent from Khartoum include Islamic militias and are
being deployed in Juba, the largest town in the south. The militias are
composed of volunteers who have been told to fight against the largely
Christian rebel forces in the region.
Amid the Sudanese military buildup, Sudanese aircraft have been bombing
Torit. The SPLA reported on Monday that air force bombers bombed houses in
the town. An SPLA spokesman said none of the rebels were killed or injured
in the attack but reported civilian casualties.
The government presented more than 100 volunteers from the
Popular Police Force. The volunteers, termed mujahadeen, or holy Islamic
warriors, comprise a battalion that will fight against the SPLA.
"The army is capable of retaking Torit and the capture of this town will
be the first step towards retaking all the regions controlled by the SPLA,"
Sudanese Defense Minister Bakri Hassan Saleh told the volunteers on Monday.
"The
mujahedeen will teach the SPLA a lesson it will not forget."
The SPLA has moved troops toward Juba to stop the Sudanese military
buildup. So far, SPLA forces are reported to be digging in at positions
along
the road from Juba to Torit.
