One soldier killed, 10 injured as Sudan army repels attack by rebels

Sudan's army announced on Tuesday that it repelled an attack by rebels against the Al-Mashayesh region, which killed a government soldier and injured 10 others.

"A force belonging the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector attacked one of our posts in Al-Mashayesh region, and our forces managed to repel them," Sudanese army spokesman Ahmed Khalifa Al-Shami told Xinhua.

"One of our soldiers was martyred and 10 others were injured," Al-Shami said, adding " there is definitely a substantial loss of human lives among the perpetrators, but we have no exact figures yet."

He deemed the attack a violation of the ceasefire declared by the Sudanese government, saying "rebels of the SPLM/northern sector are attempting to pressure the State to launch a widescale attack against them in order to condemn the government and accuse it of violating the cease-fire."

"We are committed to the declared cease-fire, but the SPLM/northern sector has continued to violate it," added Al-Shami.

Last January Sudanese authorities decided to extend the cease-fire in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions.

In October 2016, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir declared a cease-fire in all conflict areas in the country until the end of 2016 before extending it for another month by the end of last December.

The Sudanese government has been fighting the SPLM/northern sector in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile state since 2011, and armed groups in Darfur since 2003. Endit