Minni Minnawi, a leader of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction turned presidential advisor after signing the peace deal with Khartoum, said his forces came under attack at their base at Kolge in the east Jebel Marra region.

"We want to respect the peace process but we are fighting in self-defence," Minnawi said, speaking by satellite telephone from the base in the war-ravaged western Sudanese region.

"They attacked us with Antonov aircraft, helicopters and tanks," he added, accusing the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of killing off the peace process.

"If the peace agreement is over, it is over from one side -- the NCP side," he said.

Four of his troops were killed and 16 wounded, while the ex-rebels captured 20 government vehicles, he said.

Government forces have now returned to El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, he added.

Minnawi returned to Darfur three months ago, citing frustration with the poor implementation of the peace agreement.

"This was definitely a deliberate attack on our forces, because our base is very well known," said Mohammed Bashir, who heads Minnawi's office at the presidential palace in Khartoum.

"I am extremely surprised that the government has done this, but the government forces have now been chased back to El-Fasher."

Rebels from other SLA factions, which did not sign the peace deal, said that government forces on Friday launched a different offensive, southwest of El-Fasher, having by Sunday burnt three villages to the ground.

"The fighting was very heavy, with government soldiers and militia attacking," said Abu Bakr Kadu, from the SLA-Unity faction.

Fighters also reported that a clinic had been destroyed in the village of Khazan Tungur.

Rebels said the government force totalled more than 100 vehicles packed with soldiers, but the numbers could not be independently verified.

Peacekeepers confirmed there had been fighting between government and rebel forces, in which aircraft were involved.

"The reports that we have indicate there has been heavy fighting," said Kemal Saiki, a spokesman for the joint UN-African Union mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

"We do not have exact details. But with reports of more than 100 vehicles with troops, this is not just a skirmish."

There was no immediate response from the military. However, an army spokesman on Saturday said that the only military action under way was against bandits responsible for a spate of attacks on aid convoys.

The new violence comes amid mounting pressure on Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir as he seeks to head off potential charges from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and genocide in Darfur.

According to the United Nations, up to 300,000 people have died and more than 2.2 million fled their homes since rebels rose up against Khartoum in February 2003. Sudan says 10,000 people have been killed.

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