The leader of a Chadian rebel group on Saturday denied losing 105 fighters in a battle with the army last week, and said it had inflicted more casualties than the military admitted. The government in Ndjamena had said the army killed 105 rebels with the Popular Front for National Renaissance (PFNR) and captured 62 in fighting in eastern Chad, and also said one of its troops was killed. 'They were caught lying red-handed. They took 64 wounded to the French,' said PFNR chief Adoum Yacoub. France has a military base in the country that supports the government of Idriss Deby Itno. Yacoub, who spoke to selfnews in Sudan by telephone, said 26 rebels died in the fighting and that his rebels inflicted 'enormous losses' among the Chadian troops. The PFNR is the only rebel group operating inside the country, with the rest operating from the Darfur region of Sudan. At the beginning of April, Chadian mediator Abderaman Moussa met rebel representatives in Sudan, and it was agreed to meet again in the first half of May to restart negotiations that broke off in 2007. The PFNR has disassociated itself from the talks, however. 