Sudan rebels claim downing gov't army helicopter in South Kordofan

The rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector on Sunday said it shot down a Sudanese army helicopter in South Kordofan State.

"Our forces on Saturday launched attacks for four hours at al-Atmour-al-Nafra, west of Um Sirdiba area, and inflicted heavy loss of lives and military equipment among the government forces," Arno Taloudy, spokesman of the SPLM/northern sector, said in a statement.

"In primary statistics, a government fighter helicopter has been shot down, three tanks and 10 vehicles have been destroyed, besides that, tens of government soldiers have been killed or injured," he noted.

He said four of the movement's soldiers were killed and 15 others injured.

The Sudanese army spokesman could not be contacted immediately to comment on the rebels' claim.

The military confrontations between the Sudanese army and the rebels of the SPLM/northern sector have escalated since March 2015.

In this March, the Sudanese army announced controlling of Um Sirdiba area, one of the strongholds of the rebels of the SPLM/northern sector in South Kordofan State.

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

Last March, the peace 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 on 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