Fighting between Darfur rebels and government forces near the northern town of Kutum has killed seven people and insurgents said on Sunday they shot down two army helicopters in the area plagued by violence.

Women refugees plead with UNHCR's High Commissioner Antonio Guterres during his visit to Goz Amir camp in eastern Chad, December 22, 2006. Thousands of people who fled to Chad from Sudan's Darfur region pleaded with the U.N.'s top refugee official on Friday to either move them or protect them against cross-border raids which have killed hundreds. [Reuters]

Despite a May peace deal, violence has escalated in Sudan's remote west with rebels who reject the accord forming a military alliance and renewing hostilities with the government. Experts estimate 200,000 have been killed and 2.5 million driven from their homes in Darfur.

"The government troops and Janjaweed militia attacked our positions and then attacked a village, killing five men and ... two women," Darfur rebel commander Jar el-Neby told Reuters via satellite telephone.

He said the government and their allied militia, known locally as Janjaweed, attacked rebel positions near Kutum three days ago and the village of el-Goba, about 16 km (10 miles) east of Kutum town on Friday.

In a separate statement sent to Reuters on Sunday, Darfur rebel official Esam el-Din Hajj said the insurgents had shot down two army helicopters during the clashes.

An army spokesman confirmed heavy clashes with the rebel National Redemption Front (NRF), but denied the attack on the village or that any helicopters or planes had been shot down.

"We did not use any helicopters or planes during the clashes so of course they could not shoot them down," the spokesman said.

"Four soldiers were killed and around 20-25 injured," he said, adding the rebels had attacked an army position in Shag al-Nakharah near Kutum.

He said the NRF had lost many troops and vehicles and eventually retreated.

Mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003 accusing central government of marginalizing the arid west. The international community says Khartoum armed militia to quell the revolt.

Those militia stand accused of a campaign of rape, murder and pillage dubbed genocide by Washington. Khartoum denies genocide but the International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating alleged war crimes in the region.