Chad 'ready to push back rebels'

Chadian rebels attacked the country's capital in February

A Chadian minister has said the army is prepared to push back rebels who he said had launched a fresh attack near the border with Sudan.

Communication Minister Mahamat Hissene told the BBC's Network Africa that the rebels were under orders from Sudan.

The latest clashes were reported on Thursday, with rebels claiming to have shot down a helicopter.

The UN has said Sudan and Chad are fighting a proxy war through each other's rebel groups.

Chad closed its border with Sudan last month and suspended economic ties.

That came after Sudan cut diplomatic relations with Chad following an attack by Darfur rebels near the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

Sudan accuses Chad of backing rebels in Darfur - charges denied by Chad.

The two countries have signed numerous peace deals but these have never held.

Observers

Mr Hissene said "mercenaries acting under the orders of Sudan" had launched this week's attack.

"We are ready for confrontation even now," he said.

"I think the army will succeed in pushing them out of our territory."

Sudan was trying to overthrow the Chadian government "to make sure that the Sudanese government can implement its policy in Darfur without that any other country can see what is going on", Mr Hissene claimed.

He added that Chad wanted observers along the border who could see which side was attacking the other.

Mr Hissene rejected rebel claims that they had shot down a rebel helicopter.

"The helicopter landed far from the area where the mercenaries entered the territory," he said.

Irish members of an EU protection force in eastern Chad said a helicopter had made a crash landing after being damaged by anti-aircraft fire.

Chadian rebels tried to overthrow President Idriss Deby in February in an attack on the capital, N'Djamena.