Seven villages in South Darfur were bombed after the army was put to rout in fighting against the Sudan Liberation Army faction of Minni Arco Minawi, according to a rebel official.

Rebels and army both reported fresh clashes Thursday and Friday south of the state capital Nyala, making competing claims to the number of casualties, with the army spokesman saying 100 rebels were killed in two battles and SLA-MM saying 170 soldiers and 90 militia were killed.

The battle Thursday took place at Kashalango in El Salam Locality and the other one Friday at Abga Radji in Bielel Locality. SLA-Minawi  military spokesman Adam Saleh Abakr said the rebel forces pursued ‘defeated’ troops through El Salam displaced camp up to the Nyala South gate.

Army Spokesman Al Sawarmi Sa’ad Khaled described the events differently, telling state media that the army sortied from their bases after spotting rebels in Umm Gunja and Abga Radji. They then attacked the rebels in Kashalango where they siezed eight vehicles. On returning to their bases, however, they were ambushed rebels, who were repelled, losing 14 more of their vehicles.

Al Sadiq Sharif Abdallah, the SLA Secretary-General for Organization and Administration, told Radio Tamazuj that the Sudanese air force bombed seven villages in the wake of the clashes including Abga Radji, Hajir Tonyo and other “very small” villages around them. He said they used Antonovs and helicopters to bomb the civilian areas after the SAF and militias affiliated to them were routed by SLA forces.

The SLA official also claimed that during the recent fighting the movement captured 15 Land Cruisers loaded with ammunition and other military hardware, as well as capturing five officers, while acknowledging the loss of seven SLA fighters.

Civilian sources on Friday confirmed to Radio Dabanga that ‘defeated’ pro-government militia passed through the El Salam camp en route to the state capital after battles with SLA. The militia killed three displaced people there and injured three others. There were also reports of shelling of villages south of Nyala amid fears of mass displacement from El Salam Camp, home to some 65,000 people.