CAIRO — Sudan has launched a major military operation against
rebels in the Darfour province.
Rebel sources said the Sudanese military has deployed fighter-jets,
bombers and artillery in the operation. The sources
said the operation, ahead of peace talks with rebel factions in Qatar,
targeted the Sudanese Liberation Army in northern Darfour near the border
with Chad.
"It was a huge attack from the air and ground," a rebel source said.
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The source said the Sudanese military operation targeted the SLA faction
heaed by Abdul Wahid Mohammed Nur. They said the military deployed An-24 air
transports, used as bombers, as well as Chinese-origin armored personnel
carriers, infantry fighting vehicles and artillery.
The Sudanese military has not confirmed reports of its three-pronged
attack in Darfour. The United Nations, which operates a peace-keeping force
in the province, said it was seeking information.
The attack on Jan. 16 was said to have capped a series of clashes
between the military and Darfour rebels in January. At one point,
humanitarian aid workers were forced to flee the fighting.
The Nur faction of SLA has been a hold-out in efforts to stop the
rebellion in Darfour. In February 2009, the Justice and Equality Movement
agreed to peace talks with the Khartoum regime.
