国际英语新闻：Hundreds of Darfur rebels killed by Sudanese army: commander

KHARTOUM, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese army said it has killed hundreds of rebels from the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in a series of operations of late, the country's state news agency reported on Saturday.

At least 300 members from Darfur's most powerful rebel group were killed and another 86 were captured in the past few days, General Al-Tayeb al-Musbah Osman, commander of the western region was quoted saying. He said in a Friday's report that 75 Sudanese troops were also killed in the clashes in north of the country.

The JEM denied the reports, saying it defeated the government troops, while the United Nations and African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) confirmed the clashes without giving any detail information on their casualties.

In May, the government troops had said it killed hundreds of JEM rebels, after peace talks between rebels and the government collapsed.

The fighting between the Sudanese government and armed rebel groups began in Darfur in 2003, causing 300,000 deaths and 2.7 million displacements of people from their homes, according to UN estimates. UNAMID was deployed in the region in 2007, replacing an African Union only peacekeeping force.

The Sudanese government has urged all armed groups in Darfur to join the peace talks with the government in Qatari capital Doha.