By Finbarr O'Reilly
GOZ-BEIDA, Chad (Reuters) - Irish EU troops patrolled theeastern Chadian town of Goz-Beida and surrounding refugee campson Sunday after insurgents attacked the town in their latestoffensive against Chad's President Idriss Deby.
Chad army troops in pickups mounted with heavy guns orladen with rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) raced round thetown, which a rebel column of up to 100 vehicles attacked onSaturday before heading towards the Sudan border 70 km (40miles) away.
Oil-producing Chad and Sudan accuse each other of backinginsurgents who have attacked both capitals in recent months.
Irish troops protecting refugee camps surrounding Goz-Beidaunder the European Union's EUFOR mission in eastern Chad cameunder RPG fire near Djabal camp during Saturday's fighting.
They returned "warning fire" at the unidentified attackers.
Metre-wide craters from the RPG blasts were visible outsidethe sprawling camp on Sunday as Irish troops briefly deployedto reassure its 15,000 refugees from Sudan's Darfur war. Theyalso patrolled around Goz-Beida on foot and in armoured cars.
Women in colourful flowing robes carried plastic jerrycansof water on their heads and men led donkeys laden withfirewood.
Some residents and children waved cheerfully at the EUFORtroops, whose presence has made at least some improvement tothe dire insecurity. But the usual Sunday market was cancelledand mobile phone links were down in Goz-Beida and nearbyAbeche.
"The situation in town appears calm but we remainvigilant," Commandant Stephen Morgan, spokesman for the Irish97th Infantry Battalion, told a Reuters reporter in Goz-Beida.
"We sighted a number of unexploded ordnances which weremarked and noted and once the situation permits we will go anddestroy them."
DEFENSIVE POSITIONS
Some of the town's mud-built walls were marked by RPGexplosions. Medical workers said at least 24 people werewounded in the attack and the government said one woman waskilled.
A thin trail of smoke rose from the smouldering remains ofa compound belonging to German aid agency GTZ, whose fuel storecaught fire in the fighting. Other aid compounds were looted.
Government troops drove their pickup trucks round the townat speed, kicking up plumes of dust, and they appeared to havereinforced defensive positions on the road northeast to Sudan.
"The army pursued the invaders and routed them," ChadianInformation Minister Mahamat Hissene told reporters in thecapital N'Djamena, in western Chad, late on Saturday.
Hissene said the rebels were sowing confusion and pouredcold water on reports the rebels were preparing another assaulton N'Djamena, which they attacked in February after a rapidadvance across the country. Hundreds of people were killedthen.
"This war is not about positions, it is a war on the move.The important thing for the army is to block this invasion."
The rebel National Alliance has said since its men clashedwith government helicopter gunships on Thursday, forcing one tocrash-land, that they had columns preparing to move westtowards N'Djamena. There has been no independent confirmation.
Approaching seasonal rains will obstruct any overlandmilitary advance, filling the surrounding wadis and turningGoz-Beida into a virtual island for the rest of the wet season.
(For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say onthe top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com)
(Writing by Alistair Thomson)
