Darfur rebels say leader was killed in air strike

KHARTOUM: A rebel group from Sudan's Darfur region confirmed on Sunday that its leader had been killed but said he died in an air strike and not a "clash" with government forces.

"We, the Justice and Equality Movement, announce to the Sudanese nation that the leader of the movement and the commander of its troops, Khalil Ibrahim Mohammed, was killed on December 23 at 3:00 am," London-based rebel spokesman Gibril Adam Bilal told AFP.