Troops take Darfur rebel bastion

Khartoum, 16 May-(ANA)-Sudan's military says it has seized control of a key rebel stronghold in the western region of Darfur.

An army spokesman, Al-Sawarmi Khaled, said more than 100 rebels from the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem) had been killed in the Jebel Moon area.

The rebels say they left the area last month to avoid civilian casualties.

The insurgents signed a preliminary peace deal and ceasefire with Khartoum in February, but then pulled out after accusing the government of acts of war.

Sudanese television broadcast footage on Saturday of senior military officials visiting the former rebel stronghold.

The military is claiming it scored a major victory over one of the two most significant rebel groups a day earlier.

"We have liberated Jebel Moon from the Justice and Equality Movement and killed 108 members," army spokesman Mr Khaled told reporters in Khartoum.(ANA)

FA/ANA/16 May 2010-------