Chad says it has completed a ground and air assault against rebelsbased in neighboring Sudan, but the Khartoum government calls the bombing raids an act of war.
Chad's ground assault into Sudan captured 100 rebel prisonersand its aerial bombardment of rebel bases across the border destroyedseven groups of fighters, according to the government.
Interim Defense Minister AdoumYounousmi told reporters in Ndjamena the offensive is now complete andall Chadian forces have withdrawn from Sudan.
He said Chad'sground assault reached as far as 40 kilometers inside Sudan and wascarried out without injury to local civilians or Sudanese governmentforces.
Sudan says Chad's offensive is an "act of war" and it is considering how to respond.
Younousmisays Chad does not need authorization to attack rebels inside Sudan asit is an existing right that Chad will exercise "at any time and in anyplace" by land, sea, or air.
Chadian President Idriss Deby isagain threatening to sever diplomatic relations with Sudan afterfighting earlier this month around the eastern city of Abeche, which heblames on Khartoum for backing the rebel Union of Resistance Forces.
Sudandenies the charge and says Chad is supporting the Sudanese rebelJustice and Equality Movement along the country's northwest border.
TheU.N. Security Council has condemned the rebel attacks in eastern Chadand, without mentioning Sudan by name, has expressed its concern overwhat it calls "the external support received by Chadian armed groups."
Chad and Sudan have long accused each other of backing rival rebellions.
Theybroke diplomatic relations for a few months last year. The twocountries signed an agreement in Doha last month agreeing to normalizerelations and reject support for rebels.
Chadian rebels havebeen trying to overthrow President Deby for more than three years andbriefly reached the capital 15 months ago. Part of the conflictcenters on how best to approach the conflict in Sudan's neighboringDarfur region. More than 300,000 refugees from Darfur live in camps ineastern Chad.
A U.N. military force for Chad is at about 40percent of its troop strength of more than 5,000. The human-rightsgroup Amnesty International wants donors to step-up their assistancefor that force as it says the promise of security for the people ofChad and Darfur remains an illusion.