By Andrew Heavens
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Darfur rebels said Sudanese government forces had bombed their positions near the regional capital El Fasher Monday, marking a further escalation of fighting.
Tension has been building in the region ahead of an expected decision by the International Criminal Court on whether to issue an arrest warrant against Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on charges on orchestrating war crimes in Darfur.
The rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said planes struck positions near El Fasher, also the headquarters of the joint United Nations/African Union peacekeeping mission.
London-based JEM official Al-Tahir al-Feki told Reuters the group's commanders believed the bombing was a prelude to a major ground attack by the Sudanese.
Sudanese and international sources in El Fasher said they heard explosions to the east. No one was immediately available for comment from Sudan's army or the peacekeeping force.
"People are very tense. The schools, shops and most of the markets in El Fasher are closed," said one resident who asked not to be named.
Air attacks in Darfur are forbidden under a 2006 peace deal and U.N. Security Council resolutions, but Sudan's army says it has the right to defend itself from rebel groups such as JEM that have refused to sign peace agreements.
International experts say almost six years of fighting in Darfur has killed 200,000 and driven more than 2.5 million from their homes. Khartoum puts the death count at 10,000.
(Editing by Matthew Tostevin)
