KHARTOUM, May 10 (Reuters) - A Sudanese ruling party official said on Saturday a rebel attack on the capital Khartoum had been defeated and some senior rebel commanders had been killed.

"The main aim of this failed terrorist sabotage attack was to provoke media coverage and let people imagine that they had the ability to enter Khartoum," Mandour al-Mahdi, political secretary of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), told state television.

"Thank God this attempt has been completely defeated. Some high level JEM commanders were killed," Mahdi said.

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