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KHARTOUM, May 10 (Reuters) khartoum.jpg

Heavy gunfire was heard in the west of Sudan's capital on Saturday and helicopters and army vehicles rushed through the streets towards the area, witnesses said. The gunfire follows heavy battles between Darfur rebels and Sudan's army in the North Kordofan province bordering Khartoum on Friday and Saturday, according to a local government official and witnesses.

The shooting in west Omdurman could be heard down the telephone of one resident who telephoned Reuters on Saturday. "There is very, very heavy shooting here and we are all terrified," the resident called al-Sadig said. A Reuters witness saw an attack helicopter and a convoy of 10 army trucks with machine guns attached on their way to Omdurman, a western suburb of Khartoum. Many in Khartoum hunkered down at home and the streets were filled by people rushing to their houses