JUBA, Dec 31 (Reuters) - South Sudanese troops fought rebels believed to be loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar on Tuesday in the flashpoint town of Bor, its mayor said, as a deadline imposed by East African nations for an end to hostilities neared.
"We are fighting the rebels now," Mayor Nhial Majak Nhial told Reuters by phone from the outskirts of Bor, which lies 190 km (120 miles) to the north of the capital, Juba, by road.
Bor is inaccessible to journalists. Sustained bursts of gunfire could be heard in the background.
(Reporting by Carl Odera; Editing by Richard Lough John Stonestreet)
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