Sudan has cut diplomatic ties with neighboring Chad, accusing it of supporting rebels who attacked the Sudanese capital Khartoum one night earlier.

Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir announced the decision on Sunday. He said Chad should be held accountable for the assaults on Khartoum.

"These forces came from Chad. They were trained and are supported by Chad. They moved in from Chad. Therefore we hold the Chadian regime fully responsible for what happened and maintain our right to respond to this crumbling regime which does not represent the will of the Chadian people."

The president also made assurances that the army and police had crushed the sabotage attempts, and that everything was now under control.

This was the first time for Darfur rebels to enter Khartoum and launch attacks since the bloody conflicts erupted in the western Sudanese region neighboring Chad in February of 2003.

The Sudanese government has repeatedly accused Chad of supporting and providing assistance to the rebel movements in Darfur, but Chad has denied the accusation.