Insurgent groups said Sudanese forces launched "very heavy" ground and air attacks on rebel positions and villages in North Darfur today, in the latest of a string of reported assaults.
A spokesman for Sudan's Armed Forces told state media soldiers had deployed in the area to protect aid convoys from armed bandits but made no mention of any fighting, saying they had not met any resistance.
The accusations come at a particularly sensitive time as Khartoum steps up diplomatic efforts to block moves by the International Criminal Court to indict Sudan's president for genocide and other alleged crimes in Darfur.
More than five years of conflict there have killed 200,000 and driven more than 2.5 million from their homes, say international experts. Khartoum says 10,000 have died.
"The Antonovs (military aircraft) have been bombing everywhere," said Ahmed Kubur Jibril, from the rebel Sudan Liberation Army's Unity (SLA-Unity) faction.
"Sometimes they have been bombing SLA positions. Sometimes they have been bombing villages and civilian areas. There were soldiers in many vehicles," he said by satellite phone from Darfur.
Jibril said the attacks on the villages of Tarny, Khazan Tungur and surrounding settlements southwest of the town of Tawila, were part of a week-long offensive on insurgent positions in North Darfur. Fighters had told him of civilian deaths and rebel injuries, but there were no definite figures.
"There has been some very heavy fighting," said Ibrahim al-Helwu, from another branch of the SLA.
Other rebel leaders have accused Khartoum of launching the attacks to secure key transport routes and grab territory ahead of possible negotiations led by the Arab League and the new joint UN-African Union mediator for Darfur, Djibril Bassole.
A spokesman for the UN-AU peacekeepers in Darfur said he was checking the reports of fresh fighting. The undermanned and ill-equipped mission earlier said it could not confirm reports from rebels in North Darfur as it did not have bases in the area or enough helicopters to fly over the locations.
But this week it added that officers had seen large-scale movements of Sudanese army equipment, suggesting "intense military activity" was taking place.
Reuters