N'DJAMENA, Chad, April 12 (UPI) -- Rebels seeking to bring down the regime of Chad President Idriss Deby claimed to be advancing toward the African nation's capital N'djamena on three fronts.
Deby's government, however, claimed its troops had retaken the town of Mongo, 250 miles east of N'djamena after a rebel raid, reports the BBC.
The rebels led by the United Front for Change have been carrying on a campaign for the past six months, attracting a large number of deserting army officers. Some of the raids reportedly have come from bases in the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan is "deeply concerned" by the fighting in eastern Chad, his spokesman told the BBC.
Deby, who seized power in 1990, is seeking re-election in May but the main opposition parties have decided to boycott the voting.
