Janjaweed have been accused of torching villages

Hilary Andersson - who travelled deep into Janjaweed territory for a BBC Panorama programme - said the Arab militia often use air strikes from the Sudanese air force to assist them.

They then move in and pick people off in the ensuing panic - with children often included among their victims.

Describing the pattern, which emerged after travelling through Darfur and speaking to victims, she said: "Government planes bomb, while Janjaweed move in to kill on the ground."

The villages are then often set on fire by the Janjaweed militia, after they have looted.

Surrounded

They killed two or three of the students who stayed in the classes. They were also shooting the other children who were trying to run away Hikma, teacher

Some estimates claim that more than 400 ethnic African villages in the region have been scorched.

Sudan's government says that it has bombed towns in Darfur, but only to put down a regional uprising by the Sudan Liberation Army rebels.

But survivors tell a different story.

African refugees who used to live in the village of Kidinyir say that government planes bombed the town five times - and that each time the Janjaweed had surrounded the town on camels and in cars.

They claim that as people tried to escape the Arab militia forces moved in, methodically set fire to the houses, and killed anything that moved

One villager, called Hawa, told the programme: "They attacked us in the early hours of the morning as usual they attacked with planes, vehicles camels and horses. People were running in all directions."

Harrowing

The Janjaweed are said to have shot children at this school in Kidinyir

A fellow survivor Kalima, added: "Bombs were dropping from the planes. When I heard the men I told the children to run from the house, but men with horses and cars had already entered the village. I was shouting to my husband to also get out of the house."

One of the most harrowing eyewitness accounts come from the village school, where a young teacher called Hikma was about to start class.

She says she heard the planes and gunfire before all hell broke loose.

"The children started jumping out of the windows of the classes," Hikma told Panorama, "when they saw the 'Janjaweed' coming into the school. Some of the children were trying to run from the school, others were trying to hide inside.

"They killed two or three of the students who stayed in the classes. They were also shooting the other children who were trying to run away."

Panorama: The new killing fields will be broadcast at 22:15GMT on Sunday, November 14 on BBC One