Darfur rebels, Sudanese army clash near Khartoum

By Opheera McDoom

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Darfur rebels and Sudan's army fought heavy battles in the North Kordofan province near Khartoum on Saturday, a local government official and witnesses said.

The Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said it was strengthening its forces in Kordofan but not attacking government troops -- to avoid causing civilian casualties.

But a local government official said the heavily armed rebels had scattered after an army counter-attack.

Sudan tightened security in the Sudanese capital late on Thursday because of the fighting and the army accused Chad on Saturday of backing the rebels, whose latest attack is the closest they have come to Khartoum.

Diplomatic missions hunkered down after warnings from the Sudanese foreign ministry, although life in the capital for most Sudanese seemed to continue as normal.

"The government and the armed Darfur movements are engaged in battles and there was bombing by planes and the rebels have scattered," Abdel Majid Abdel Farid, a member of the administrative council of North Kordofan's eastern town of Hamrat al-Wizz told Reuters from the area.

He said the Darfur rebels on Friday had spread out all over the state in an "unprecedented manner" carrying very heavy weapons.

The reports of bombing came from civilians north of his town, he added: "The civilians here are very, very scared."