Khartoum, Sudan (CNN) -- A major Darfur rebel leader and some of his top commanders have been killed, a Sudanese army spokesman announced on state-run radio Sunday.





"Our armed forces were able to destroy the renegade Khalil Ibrahim, who died along with members of (his group's) leadership that was with him," said Alswarmi Khalid, the army's spokesperson.





Khalid said Ibrahim and members of his group were surrounded and killed in the Wad Banda area -- along the border between North Darfur state and North Kordofan state -- as they attempted to escape to South Sudan.





Fighting between Darfur rebels and the Sudanese army broke out days ago in North Kordofan, as rebels announced an assault on Khartoum.





Ibrahim was the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), considered the most powerful Darfur rebel group. The JEM had refused to join the Doha Darfur peace document, signed between the Sudanese government and another rebel group, the Liberation and Justice Movement, this year.





A statement posted on JEM's website confirmed Ibrahim's death, but told a different narrative of events.





"JEM announces the martyrdom of its chair and head of its armed forces and offers its condolences to all Sudanese people," the statement read.





The JEM said Ibrahim was attacked from air by an unknown plane that hit with "with accuracy unusual for the regime's army's fighters which led to his martyrdom ... which points to the involvement of and a conspiracy by some in the regional and international circles with Khartoum's genocidal regime."





The rebel group reconfirmed its commitment to remove the government from power.
What was he the leader of? who was the leader of the JEM who was killed? members of who's group leadership were killed what is the jem group? where did the fighting break out? What is the name of the leader? What does the group allege?
Darfur rebel Ibrahim A major Darfur rebel leader and some of his top commanders Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), the most powerful Darfur rebel North Kordofan, Khalil Ibrahim, Ibrahim was attacked from air
question: What was he the leader of?, answer: Darfur rebel | question: who was the leader of the JEM, answer: Ibrahim | question: who was killed?, answer: A major Darfur rebel leader and some of his top commanders | question: members of who's group leadership were killed, answer: Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), | question: what is the jem group?, answer: the most powerful Darfur rebel | question: where did the fighting break out?, answer: North Kordofan, | question: What is the name of the leader?, answer: Khalil Ibrahim, | question: What does the group allege?, answer: Ibrahim was attacked from air