CHAD:Chadian aircraft have bombed Chadian rebel positions near the capital of Sudan's western Darfur state, a UN report said of the second reported cross-border incursion in two weeks.
Six Chadian "opposition members" were killed in the attacks on villages in Darfur early on Sunday, said the report.
Rodolphe Adada, head of the African Union-United Nations force for Darfur, said he was watching growing tensions along the Chad-Sudan border with deep concern and said they could negatively affect the deployment of the long-awaited joint Darfur peacekeeping mission.
In a statement, Adada said he was "concerned that if the situation is not immediately brought under control, great numbers of internally displaced persons and refugees will likely be the first victims of any further escalations."
Relations between Chad and Sudan have been touchy in recent years as both try to quell insurgencies close to their long and porous border. They accuse each other of backing rebels trying to overthrow their respective governments.
Sunday's reported strikes came a day after Chadian president Idriss Deby threatened to send his armed forces into Sudan to destroy rebel fighters he accuses Khartoum of supporting.
The UN report said that on Sunday at approximately 4.30am "Chadian air carried out air attack on the villages of Goker and Wadi Radi 35 km south of Geneina.
"It has been confirmed that the Chadian air force bombed these two locations killing six Chadian opposition members and injuring four." It said the injured were being treated in a civilian hospital in el Geneina, capital of Western Darfur state, 1,100 km west of Khartoum.
The air strikes are likely to enrage Sudan, which has repeatedly denied supporting Chadian rebels and warned Chad not to take military action.
Sudan has accused Chad of bombing parts of Darfur on December 28th. But N'Djamena insisted it had targeted rebel units on the border without crossing into Darfur.
In New York, the UN Security Council expressed "serious concern at the recent upsurge of activities of the illegal armed groups in western Sudan and in eastern Chad, and at the resulting tension between Sudan and Chad".
A statement read to reporters by Libyan ambassador Giadalla Ettalhi, current council president, said council members "called on Sudan and Chad to exercise restraint and pursue dialogue and co-operation".
Aid workers speaking confirmed there had been air attacks.