Army denies loss of helicopters in rebel attacks

The Sudanese armed forces on Saturday denied claims by the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) to have shot down two government military helicopters in the south of the country, the Sudanese News Agency (SUNA) reported. The Sudanese armed forces spokesman, General Muhammad Bashir Sulayman, described the reports as "lies" circulated by the SPLM/A leadership to raise the morale of their forces, adding that no army aircraft were missing. Sulayman accused the SPLM/A of violating human rights, and branded it a terrorist group which "should be included in the international anti-terrorist campaign". The SPLM/A spokesman, Samson Kwaje, on 4 October said rebel forces had shot down two helicopter gunships over the last two weeks - one on 1 October at Agut in Western Upper Nile (Wahdah State), and the second near Raga town in Western Bahr al-Ghazal State on 21 September.