Armed militias ambushed a band of rebel fighters in south Darfur, sparking a gun battle that left at least 11 dead, insurgents said on Sunday. The reports of fresh fighting in Darfur came at a sensitive time for Khartoum which has been stepping up diplomatic efforts to block a move by the International Criminal Court to indict Sudan's president for war crimes in the country's violent west.
Leaders from two rebel factions said the militias who struck late on Saturday were part of a build-up of fighters around the town of Muhajiriya.