Sudan rebels claim killing 16 gov't soldiers, army denies

The rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector on Thursday claimed killing 16 government soldiers in Blue Nile State, but the Sudanese army denied the claim.

"The fighters of the movement ambushed Wednesday a Sudanese army unit at al-Yarmouk area, some seven km south of Bot town in Blue Nile State," Sudan Tribune Thursday quoted Arno Taloudy, spokesman of SPLM/northern sector, as saying in a statement.

"At least 16 government soldiers were killed, while we lost one soldier," he added.

However, Sudanese army spokesman Ahmed Khalifa Al-Shami denied the rebel's claim.

"During the recent period, the rebel movement tended to fabricate information about delusive victories to lift the morale of its soldiers," Al-Shami told Xinhua.

South Kordofan and Blue Nile have been witnessing armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the SPLM/northern sector rebels since 2011.

So far 10 rounds of peace talks have been held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa between the Sudanese government and the SPLM/northern sector, under the patronage of the African Union, but have failed to end the conflict in the two areas. Endit