CAIRO, Egypt - UN peacekeepers say Sudanese government planes have bombed a rebel-held town in southern Darfur.

UN officials say Saturday's bombing killed a child and sent hundreds of civilians fleeing to a peacekeepers' compound.

Eight homes in the town of Muhajeria were destroyed in the attack.

Muhajeria is home to 30,000 residents, many of whom have been displaced from previous fighting.

The government has vowed to take control of the town from Darfur's most powerful rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement.

The rebels seized control of Muhajeria earlier this month from another rebel group that has signed a peace deal with the government in Khartoum.

The conflict in Darfur has pitted the Arab-led government in Khartoum against mainly ethnic African rebels who rose up in 2003 complaining of discrimination.

Khartoum is accused of unleashing Arab militias to wage a campaign of violence on ethnic African civilians, including killings and rapes.

UN officials say up to 300,000 people have been killed in the conflict and more than 2.5 million displaced. The Sudanese government says the figures are exaggerated.

A UN official said the government aircraft dropped two bombs on the town's western edge, near a settlement for refugees and a base for the UNAMID peacekeeping mission.

One child was confirmed dead and another civilian seriously injured, but the peacekeepers did not have a final casualty count.

"About 1,000 civilians were reported to have fled their homes and are taking shelter around the UNAMID camp and slept in the open fearing further attacks," Noureddine Mezni, spokesman for the UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur, said in a telephone interview from Sudan.

Government military officials were not available for comment Sunday.