The Chadian army clashed with rebels in eastern Chad on Saturday during several hours of heavy fighting in the desert, rebel and government sources said. The battle took place some 50 km (31 miles) outside the prefectural capital of Biltine, which rebels from the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (UFDD) took on Thursday, before withdrawing a day later in the face of an army advance. Rebel leader Mahamat Nouri told Reuters three columns of army vehicles had cornered his troops in a dried out riverbed, and attacked from two sides.
