Sudan: "hundreds" of rebels killed in South Kordofan

GlobalPost

The governor of Sudan's South Kordofan state says hundreds of rebels were killed Monday in clashes with the army.

"Hundreds of soldiers from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM-North) were killed during an attack on the city of Teludi this morning," Ahmed Haroun said, according to BBC News.

The oil-rich South Kordofan state borders South Sudan, which became independent in July. It has seen violent clashes since June between the Sudanese army and rebels once allied to southern rebels, Agence France-Presse says.

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According to AFP, a Sudanese army spokesman said that more than 700 rebel fighters tried to attack Teludi on Monday morning.

"The armed forces waited for the invaders to arrive on three fronts with equipment and on several vehicles, but in an hour the armed forces and popular defense forces beat back the attack, causing heavy losses," spokesman Sawarmi Khaled Saad told AFP.

The rebels have not commented on the army's claims.

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