Government denies loss of 150 soldiers in rebel attack

The Sudanese military has denied claims by the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) to have killed more than 150 government soldiers during heavy fighting on the River Nile, news agencies reported on Friday. According to the BBC, authorities in Khartoum said on Friday that an attack on government forces travelling on the White Nile had taken place, but that only two government soldiers had been killed. "Many SPLA soldiers were also killed," Associated Press (AP) quoted an army officer as saying on. The SPLM/A said in a statement on Thursday that rebel forces had attacked a Sudanese government convoy of 12 armed steamers travelling on the White Nile between Tonga and Barboy on 10 September, destroying two "warship steamers" and capturing a number of weapons. The Sudanese army officer could not confirm whether any government barges had been attacked, AP said.