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Khartoum: At least 18 people were killed when Sudanese troops attacked a Darfur displaced persons camp on Monday, rebel leaders and a camp resident said.
The rebel group Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) led by Abdel Wahed Mohamed Ahmed Al Nur said troops entered the Kalma camp in South Darfur to try to clear it of residents.
"This is a message of defiance to the international community. We call on the UNAMID peacekeepers to do their job and defend the IDPs (internally displaced persons)," Yahia El Bashir, the groups British-based spokesman said.
The leaders of two rebel groups said soldiers surrounded Kalma early on Monday and then opened fire.
A senior tribal leader said the offensive was continuing at mid-morning, and up to 18 people had been killed.
Other unconfirmed reports from rebel groups put the death count at around 50.
The leader of one SLA faction, said: "The IDP are resisting, we are expecting casualties. They (the government of Sudan) want to demolish Kalma camp, they want to force people to leave."
No one was immediately available for comment from the Sudanese Armed Forces.
The camp houses some 90,000 people who have fled their homes during five years of fighting.
UNAMID said there were unconfirmed reports of shooting at Kalma and officers had sent patrols to the area to check.
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