The Sudanese government forces announced on Tuesday that a group of rebels attacked Shi'eiria town in Sudan's south Darfur state.

The Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), one of the two main rebel groups in western Darfur region, launched the attack on Monday and looted properties of civilians, the Sudanese military forces said in a statement.

It described the aggression as "a clear violation of the agreements between the government and the rebel groups on the conflict in Darfur".

The Sudanese military forces defended their right to respond.

It pointed out that the attack occurred at the time when all sides are looking forward to the outcome of the ongoing peace talks between the Sudanese government and the Darfur rebel groups in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, which was resumed on Thursday.

The Sudanese government signed the Declaration of Principles with the Darfur rebels to seek a peaceful solution to the two-and- a-half-year conflict in Darfur in July.

Source: Xinhua