"But this was a politically suicide attack by the JEM which will lose the support of the Darfur people," the Sudanese well- known political analyst said.

Al-Fatih Az-ddin, the mayor of Omdurman, said that what had been done by the JEM was "a military adventure which could not succeed," adding that the rebel forces infiltrating into Omdurman had been totally defeated.

Kamal Obeid admitted the existence of the "fifth fleet" of the rebels in Khartoum without giving the details.

Most analysts agreed that the JEM would not have been so audacious and reckless without assistance of collaborators inside the Khartoum regime.

On Saturday evening, as the rebel forces were being repulsed by the army troops and police, the JEM claimed that they would continue the fighting until President al-Bashir was ousted.

"We are in Omdurman, we are in Khartoum north. This is not something that is going to be finished in a few hours," JEM official al-Tahir al-Faki told a Western news agency, adding " there is an imbalance of power and wealth, we have to sort this out."

During its emergency meeting on Sunday evening, the Sudanese cabinet listened to the reports made by the ministers of defense and interior on the rebel attack.

"The Council of Ministers praised the big professional work performed by the armed and security forces as well as the police, which led to the defeat of the rebelling forces," Kamal Obeid noted.