KHARTOUM - Sudan's army on Monday accused Darfur rebels of ambushing U.N.-African Union peacekeepers and said it had taken control of a central rebel stronghold in the restive west of Africa's largest country.

A force of around 60 joint U.N.-African Union (UNAMID) peacekeepers was ambushed on Friday and held for 24 hours by unidentified armed men in Jabel Marra, which for years has been a rebel-controlled area.

The army had previously denied it was fighting with Darfur rebels in Jabel Marra, but on Monday Khaled said they had clashed there with "small criminal gangs blocking roads."

The Darfur rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) loyal to founder Abdel Wahed Mohamed el-Nur denied the army was in control of the area they have claimed since the conflict began in early 2003. They also denied any involvement in the ambush.

Sudan's army also questioned how UNAMID lost its vehicles, weapons, money and communications equipment without a fight.