Claim Jet Was Bombing Village

An opposition army fighting against government-backed forces in the Darfur region of the Sudan claimed to have shot down a MiG-29 this week.

Rebel spokesman Adel Aziz el-Nur Ashr told Reuters the government aircraft was bombing civilian villages in the area.

"We have downed a plane -- MiG 29 around 4.5 km south of Adila yesterday around 5 pm (1400 GMT)," said Ashr, a commander with the Darfur rebel Justice and Equality and Movement (JEM.) "We are looking for the pilot. We have the body of the plane."

JEM has accused the government of attacking Adila -- located in the far eastern region of the South Darfur state -- ahead of a planned meeting of rebel factions to hammer out a lasting peace. Last week, the government accused JEM of attacking the town.

Officials with the United Nations and the African Union were unable to confirm the alleged shootdown.

Rebel forces have shot down government Antonov transport planes and helicopters in the last four years of conflict in the region, but never a fighter jet... especially one as advanced as a MiG-29.

FMI: www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/darfur.htm