By Finbarr O'Reilly
GOZ-BEIDA, Chad (Reuters) - Rebels in eastern Chad onSaturday attacked a town where European Union troops wereprotecting civilian refugees, and Irish soldiers came underfire during the fighting, an Irish officer and aid workerssaid.
Irish troops stationed at the town of Goz-Beida defendedthemselves with brief "warning fire" from their armouredvehicles during a clash between Chad's army and a rebel columnthat attacked the town, an Irish army spokesman said.
"It is not clear who fired upon our troops ... There are noIrish casualties and all vehicles are operational," CommandantGavin Young said in a statement. The Irish troops were part ofa European Union protection force (EUFOR) deployed in eastChad.
Medical workers said at least 24 people were hurt in theattack on the town, which came on the third day of what rebelforces say is an offensive aimed at trying to end PresidentIdriss Deby's rule over landlocked, oil producing Chad.
It was believed to be the first time since their deploymentthat EUFOR troops had come under fire during fighting involvingthe rebels, who attacked the capital N'Djamena in February.
Goz-Beida, 70 km (40 miles) by road from Chad's border withSudan's Darfur region, is surrounded by U.N.-run camps housingSudanese and Chadian refugees. They are being protected by anIrish battalion, the 97th Infantry, serving with EUFOR.
"At approximately 12.30 p.m. today an armoured Irish patrolreceived fire, in their general direction, as they weremonitoring a clash between Chadian army and rebel forces,"Young said in the statement made available to Reuters.
Other witnesses reported heavy fighting at Goz-Beida, inwhich smoke rose from the town and firing from machineguns andheavy weapons was heard. A heavily-armed column of rebelvehicles entered the town, but then left a few hours later.
Aid workers reported clashes around the compound of theBritish charity Oxfam, followed by calm.
"The situation in Goz-Beida is currently calm, but tense,"Young said, adding the Irish troops were maintaining a presenceat the camps for Sudanese refugees and displaced Chadians.
FRANCE URGES "POLITICAL SOLUTION"
Spokesmen for the rebel National Alliance, speaking toReuters by phone, said Goz-Beida was under the control of rebelforces and that other insurgent columns were moving westwards.
On a visit to Ivory Coast, French Foreign Minister BernardKouchner said he had received information that the rebels hadbeen "pushed back" by government forces from Abeche, Chad'ssecond city and a hub for humanitarian operations in the east.
But there was no independent confirmation.
Rebel spokesmen said they were not seeking confrontationwith EUFOR troops. "We have no desire to clash with EUFORforces as long as they remain neutral," one rebel spokesman,Abderaman Koulamallah, told Reuters by telephone from France.
Former colonial power France, which has warplanes andtroops in Chad and strongly backed President Deby when hesurvived an earlier fierce rebel assault on the capitalN'Djamena in February, called for a "political solution" inChad.
"Any armed action targeting Chad and its institutions canonly be condemned by France and the international community,"the French Foreign ministry said in Paris.
Before the assault on Goz-Beida the attacking rebel columnhad up to 100 pick-up trucks.
Some of the vehicles had machine-guns mounted on the back,others carried rebel fighters, their heads and faces swathed inturbans against the dust, holding automatic rifles androcket-propelled grenade launchers. They waved and cheered.
Chad's government has rejected the rebel announcements of anew major offensive as "rebel propaganda" but has said"mercenaries in the pay of Sudan" -- the term it usually usesto describe the insurgents -- crossed into Chad on Wednesday.
A fresh Chadian rebel offensive against Deby had beenwidely expected since Sudanese Darfuri insurgents attacked theSudanese capital Khartoum in May. Both countries accuse eachother of supporting rebel groups hostile to each others'governments.
(For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say onthe top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/)
(Additional reporting by Pascal Fletcher in Dakar; Writingby Pascal Fletcher, editing by Jeremy Lovell)
