Attack on Adre

Chad reports 100 killed in attack near Sudan border
N'DJAMENA, Chad (Reuters) -- Chadian troops repulsed an attack on a town near the Sudanese border on Sunday in fighting that killed around 100 people, Communication Minister Hourmadji Moussa Doumgor said.
"There was an attack this morning in the town of Adre," Doumgor told Reuters. "The army counter-attacked ... there were around 100 killed," he said, adding losses on the rebel side had been worse than on the government side in what aid workers say is the worst offensive to date of a growing conflict.
The death toll could not immediately be verified.
Earlier Sudanese rebels and aid workers reported hearing large explosions and heavy fighting near Adre, a small town a few miles from the border.
"This began last night and until now we can still hear very loud explosions and heavy arms being used from the area of Adre town," said Hassan Khamis, a commander in Sudan's Darfur rebel National Movement for Reform and Development, whose areas of control run along the border.
"We can hear loud explosions from here," said one aid worker in the main West Darfur town of el-Geneina who declined to be named for security reasons.
Scores of Chadian soldiers deserted their barracks in late September before regrouping near the border, and the government has accused Sudan of using the deserters to fight rebels in Darfur and of backing Chadian rebel activities.
Sudanese army sources reported sporadic fighting in recent days, crossing over the long, porous border between the countries, but added the Sudanese army was not involved.
Both Darfuri rebels and aid workers in the region have reported large troop movements during the past two weeks near the border, with reports of Chadian troops patrolling on the Sudanese side of the border.
Chad has said it was prepared to send troops into Darfur to pursue the deserters, who pose a threat to President Idriss Deby by demanding his resignation. They are also accused of attacks on army bases in the capital N'Djamena.
The clashes add to tensions in Darfur, which has been in open revolt for almost three years. One of the main Darfur rebel tribes, the Zaghawa, live on both sides of the border.