Sudanese rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), on 7 December said that it had killed about 700 government troops in the western Darfur region on 5 December. The alleged incident took place near the Abu Gamra dam, some 45 kilometres north of Kebkabiya, in the north of the region. 'The government were on a major offensive going to Tina, but we cut them off at the dam,' said chairman of the JEM, Khalil Ibrahim. 'About 5,000-6,000 government troops and militia were in the battle... We killed about 700 of them.' Ibrahim added that at least 17 JEM troops had been killed in the fighting.