South Sudan claims disputed Jau region

KHARTOUM, Sudan, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- The disputed Jau region was seized by the Sudan People's Liberation Army of South Sudan after fighting with the Sudan Armed Forces, a local official said.

The official said South Sudan forces captured more than 15 Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles and heavy trucks from Sudanese fighters Sunday in Jau, an oil-rich region claimed by both countries that has been a source of tension, the Sudan Tribune reported.

The Tribune did not report a death toll but reported that Mabeak Lang Bilkuei, commissioner of Pariang County, said, "More bodies from Sudanese Armed Forces are laid on ground and this is a lesson to [Sudan President] Omar al-Bashir who threatened the Republic of South Sudan."

South Sudan filed a complaint in December with the U.N. Security Council, accusing the Sudan Armed Forces of occupying parts of South Sudan, including Jau.

Sudan has accused South Sudan of aiding rebels in the border states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, and also filed a complaint with the U.N. Security Council.