Sudan rebels said that border fight killed 150 army troops, but the government denied, accusing South Sudan of backing militants.

Sudan rebels said that border fight killed 150 army troops, but the government denied, accusing its neighbor South Sudan of backing militants.

Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) said the 150 troops were killed during Sunday's "surprise attack" along the disputed border with South Sudan against a government base in the Jau area.

Arnu Ngutulu Lodi, of the SPLM-N, said the rebels counted the bodies on the ground and seized three tanks along with hundreds of weapons and vehicles in the joint operation with a small number of fighters from Darfur's Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

Sudan's military denied the casualty toll and said it had killed a "huge number" of rebels, but gave no figure.

Khartoum threatened retaliation on Sunday after accusing South Sudan of backing the rebel attack on the Jau area, six kilometers inside the border, in violation of a memorandum on non-aggression and cooperation signed this month.

It said rebels accompanied by officers from South Sudan's army launched a "direct attack", but Juba denied supporting opposition groups in Sudan.