The army said Khalil Ibrahim, who led the Darfur-based Justice and Equality Movement, or JEM, was killed during a military offensive in North Kordofan state to retaliate for a deadly rebel attack there on Saturday. JEM is the most organized and effective military force in Darfur, the western region torn by conflict since 2003. JEM did not join a peace deal signed last year between other Darfur rebel groups and Sudanese President Omar Bashir's government in Khartoum.
JEM representatives could not immediately be reached for comment. But if Ibrahim's death is confirmed, it would be a serious blow to JEM, which has on several occasions threatened to bring down Bashir's regime in Khartoum by advancing toward the capital.
Darfur has been in turmoil since 2003, when ethnic African rebels accusing the Arab-dominated Sudanese government of discrimination took up arms against it. The Khartoum government is accused of retaliating by unleashing Arab militias on civilians — a charge the government denies. The conflict has tapered off since 2009, but the UN estimates 300,000 people died and 2.7 million have been displaced. The International Criminal Court in the Hague has issued an international arrest warrant for Bashir for his alleged role in crimes against humanity in Darfur.
An army statement carried by Sudan's official SUNA news agency said Ibrahim and several associates were killed in Wad Banda, about 700 km west of Khartoum in the North Kordofan region, which borders Darfur.
"The army cut all paths for the group as it was retreating and trying to cross into South Sudan to reorganize its forces," said Sudanese Army spokesman Col. Sawarmy Khaled. "Our gallant armed forces were able to kill rebel Khalil Ibrahim along with some of his associates."
South Sudan seceded from the north in July to become the world's newest nation.
Fighting in Wad Banda had flared up in the past few days. On Saturday, the Sudanese Army said Darfur rebels attacked three locations in neighboring North Kordofan, killing an unspecified number of civilians.
JEM has not claimed responsibility for the attack. However, in a dramatic push in 2008, hundreds of JEM fighters drove through the remote western region and attacked Khartoum's western outskirts. More recently, JEM spread its armed presence from Darfur into North Kordofan.