N'DJAMENA, Chad -- President Idriss Deby declared victory following a rebel attack on the capital Thursday, telling Chadians that his government remains in control of the country.

Deby, speaking on state-run radio, said troops destroyed a rebel column that attempted to infiltrate N'djamena before dawn in a bid to overthrow his government.

"The situation is under control," he assured Chadians, following three hours of fighting that included attack helicopters, tanks and artillery.

Only sporadic gunfire could be heard around the capital following his announcement. Residents in the eastern part of the city said fighting there had completely stopped, while in the northeast, residents said government troops were conducting mop-up operations, pursuing suspected rebels.

Deby also reiterated his claim that the rebels, known as the United Force for Change, were mercenaries hired by Sudan to overthrow him _ a charge the Sudanese have denied.
"In the hours to come, we will gather all of the evidence that the Sudanese government is behind the rebels," Deby said.

He also said his re-election campaign would continue, and that he would appear at a rally later Thursday.

The fighting began before dawn, with residents in eastern neighborhoods waking to heavy gunfire. The initial fighting appeared to be coming from a defensive position constructed Wednesday on the road leading into N'djamena from the east.

Later, Chadian attack helicopters fired rockets at rebel positions around the capital and tank fire and mortar rounds echoed through the city as government troops attempted to hold off the rebels. Columns of thick black smoke could be seen rising from the center of the city.

French fighter jets based in N'djamena could also be heard, but it was unclear if they were overhead or just revving their engines at the airfield. The sounds of fighting could be heard coming from the north, south and southeast of the city, which has a river as its western border.

France sent 150 troops Wednesday to bolster its contingent of about 1,200 already in Chad, a former French colony, to protect about 1,500 French citizens there, the French Defense Ministry said in a statement in Paris.

The French government has said in the past it will not directly intervene in internal politics, but would provide logistical support to the government.

The French Defense Ministry said Thursday that fighter jets carried out reconnaissance and intelligence missions the previous day to evaluate the threat, but could not immediately say whether they did the same Thursday. Such flights are part of France's overall mission to protect its citizens.

On Wednesday, Chadian troops spilled into the streets and began constructing defenses all around N'djamena after three days of attacks in the countryside by rebels and unconfirmed reports that a rebel column had moved to within 100 kilometers (60 miles) of N'djamena by late Wednesday afternoon.

French troops also took up position around government office buildings late Wednesday in anticipation of a potential rebel attack. Residents stocked up on food and water.

While it was unclear whether the rebels had enough troops to overthrow the government on their own, there have been several coup attempts against Deby, and there was some question about the loyalty of his troops since the rebels were being led by several former army commanders.

The rebels' first attack deep inside Chad came Tuesday in the central town of Mongo, just three weeks before a presidential election scheduled for May 3.

Scores of defectors from the Chadian army have joined rebel groups in their bid to overthrow Deby, who himself seized power in a 1990 coup and has seen his authority undermined by violence in neighboring Sudan and an apparent struggle for control of newly discovered oil reserves.

Since October, the rebels have been skirmishing with government forces along the border, which is more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) east of the capital.

In Paris, Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said Wednesday that France condemns all efforts to seize power by force.

The area has been volatile since the outbreak of a rebellion in Sudan's western Darfur region sent an exodus of Sudanese refugees into Chad. This week's fighting in Chad has revived fears that the Darfur conflict could undermine the wider region where Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic meet.

Both Chad and Sudan accuse the other of harboring insurgents and rebels. Rights groups have said Chadian and Sudanese militias in Darfur have launched frequent cross-border raids, killing Chadian civilians.

Chad is home to about 10 million people, mostly of Arab origin. The country became independent from France in 1960, but has been wracked by conflict for most of its history.