South Sudan soldiers clash with rebel militia-army

The southern army (SPLA) said it had since lost contact with its 35-strong search and reconnaissance team which fought George Athor's forces on Tuesday.

Athor launched a rebellion after failing to win Jonglei's governorship in April elections, accusing the south's dominant party the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) of rigging the vote.

Last month Athor said he was coordinating attacks with two other militia leaders in Jonglei and neighbouring Unity state, raising fears for the stability of the region in the run up to a potentially explosive secession referendum due in January 2011.

There have been reports of scattered attacks but so far the rebellions have not coalesced into a large uprising. Athor did not answer calls on Wednesday.

Southern Army (SPLA) spokesman Kuol Diem Kuol earlier denied reports in Khartoum newspapers of clashes with Athtor on Tuesday. He said news of the fighting only came in later on Wednesday.

"Our soldiers clashed with Athor on Tuesday near Dier village in Khorfulus county ... we have not had contact with them since then," Kuol said.

Earlier he said SPLA troops attacked Athor's forces in Wunlam village, also in Khorfulus county on Monday night.

"He is running with less than 30 soldiers. They are his close relatives from the village ... Our forces are now pursuing him. We expect his capture within days," said Kuol, adding the SPLA captured 13 of Athor's men and radio equipment on Monday.

Last week the SPLA said it chased militia commander Galwak Gai out of his base in Unity state, which includes oilfields operated by the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (GNPOC), a consortium led by China's CNPC. French group Total holds a largely unexplored oil concession in Jonglei.

South Sudan, the source of most of Sudan's oil, secured a referendum on whether to split off as a separate country in a 2005 peace deal that ended more than two decades of civil war with the north. Analysts say southerners overwhelming want to secede.

Southern leaders have said Khartoum is backing militias to destabilise the south, an accusation denied by the north.

(Reporting by Andrew Heavens)