Sudanese army controls strategic areas in South Kordofan state: spokesman

Sudanese army said Monday it controlled strategic areas in South Kordofan State after attacking the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector.

"The government forces have liberated areas of Mardis, Allabo, Kattan, Aqub and Karkaria Al-Biera in South Kordofan State in an operation that has been launched since early this week," Ahmed Khalifa Al-Shami, Sudanese army spokesman, said in a statement Monday.

"Given the rebel's targeting of innocent civilians, the armed forces had to live up to their national responsibilities and exercised their constitutional duties in confronting the criminals and destroying their positions to end the suffering of the homeland and the citizens," he noted.

He added that the armed forces have inflicted heavy loss in lives and equipments among the rebels, pointing out that a number of government soldiers were killed and others injured, without giving any numbers.

Earlier, the SPLM/northern sector said that the Sudanese army attacked areas under the movement's control in South Kordofan state.

The SPLM/northern sector has been fighting the central government at Blue Nile and South Kordofan areas since 2011.

Last week, a most recent round of talks between the government and the SPLM/northern sector rebels failed in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, under the patronage of the African Union.

Khartoum unilaterally signed a road-map deal proposed by the African mediation, while the SPLM/northern sector and other Darfur rebel movements declined to sign the deal. Endit