Rebels Kill 11 Central African Border Troops in Sudan

Eleven Central African troops belonging to a regional border task force were killed in Sudan by rebels using gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades, officials said Friday.

"We deplore 11 deaths and nine wounded on the Central African side. The attack targeted the headquarters of the tripartite force based in Sudan in the Am Dafok region," a government source in Bangui said, adding the incident took place on Wednesday.

The attackers "armed with heavy weapons, including rocket-launchers, RPG7s, grenades and vehicles mounted with machine guns, launched their assault on the Sudanese army base at Am Dafok, on the Sudanese side of the border, on Wednesday around 13H00 GMT," a Central African officer told Agence France Presse.

"The base also housed Central African soldiers belonging to the tripartite force" comprised of troops from Sudan, Chad and Central Africa responsible for monitoring the border, the officer added.

The bodies of the dead and wounded have been taken to Bangui.

The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) is investigating the incident, spokeswoman Susan Manuel said.