Ivory Coast army helicopters killed many people in air attacks on rebel-held areas of the West African country today, a rebel commander said.
Sergeant Zacharias Kone told reporters that the helicopters struck the centre-west town of Vavoua, about 450 km (280 miles) northwest of Ivory Coast's main city of Abidjan, and the villages of Pelezi and Diafla this afternoon.
"There were many dead and injured among the civilians," Kone said by satellite telephone from Vavoua. "I've got four dead bodies here with me."
An Ivorian military source confirmed that helicopters had attacked rebel territory.
The army had earlier accused rebels of breaking a truce that had held for nearly six weeks and said it was preparing to take action.
Earlier, the country's main opposition leader Mr Alassane Ouattara has flown into exile from the West African country where he had been in hiding after a suspected attempt to kill him, his party officials said today.
Mr Ouattara took refuge at the French ambassador's residence during fighting after a September 19th coup attempt, saying he believed security forces had tried to kill him.
"He has left on a plane for Gabon," one party official told reporters.
Although the government never accused Mr Ouattara of supporting the rebels, many of President Laurent Gbagbo's militants believed he had a hand in a rebellion that has split the world's top cocoa grower in two.