Plan of "havoc and terror" for Kassala

The governor of Kassala State, eastern Sudan, said more than 1,000 southern rebels carried out the attack on Kassala. Ibrahim Mahmud Hamid said in an emergency session held by the legislative council of Kassala State that there had been a total of 52 military and civilian deaths, according to the official news agency, SUNA. The many wounded in the attack had received treatment at a number of hospitals. According to the governor, "captured rebel elements" had revealed that their plan was to overrun the regional military headquarters. He said the SPLA had planned to stir up "havoc and terror" by looting the marketplace, private companies and banks. According to the SUNA report issued 14 November, the attackers had also planned to blow up the Qash bridge, destroy the water supply system and power plant and capture Kassala State radio.

Meanwhile, Minister of National Defence Bakri Hasan Salih has visited the Red Sea area and met officers and troops. Travelling with a delegation from the general command of the armed forces, the minister praised the forces for ridding the area of "aggressors", Sudanese state television said.