Suspected Senegal rebels wound three soldiers

KOLDA, Senegal (AFP) - Suspected rebels on Friday wounded three Senegalese soldiers in an attack on an army base in the restive southern province of Casamance, a military source said.

"We were victims of harassment this morning by armed gangs. We sustained three wounded, one seriously," the source told AFP in Kolda, one of the main towns in the province.

The source blamed the attack in the village of Sare Ndiaye, near the border with Guinea-Bissau, on the Casamance Movement of Democratic Forces, which has been fighting since 1982 for the independence of the province.

Casamance, a region geographically separated from the north of Senegal by the Gambia and renowned for its tourist beaches, has known periods of calm since 1982 and spells of heavy fighting. Several peace pacts have been signed but never implemented.

The conflict has intensified since November last year. Over three decades, the fighting has claimed thousands of victims, including civilians, but no precise casualty toll is available.