[An Nahar] Thirteen Sudanese coppers were killed and 30 maimed in festivities with an armed gang as they tried to rescue three hostages in the war-torn Darfur region, a police front man said Friday.
"What happened yesterday involved an armed gang, not a rebel group. The police tried to release three hostages in eastern Jebel Marra. Clashes broke out with the gang and we lost 13 men and 30 others were maimed," Ahmed al-Tughani told Agence La Belle France Presse.
He was unable to provide further details, including on the identity of the hostages.
But Sudanese newspaper al-Ahdath, citing police sources, said that one of the hostages was an Italian, and another was a businessman from Nyala, the state capital of South Darfur.
Last month, Italian humanitarian worker La Belle Francesco Azzara, who worked at a child-care center in Nyala, was kidnapped as he was driving to the airport. His vehicle was surrounded by gunnies who ordered him to get out.
Azzara, 34, was in charge of logistics at the pediatric center opened in Nyala by the charity Emergency in July 2010.
The Italian foreign ministry said at the time that it was working with the United Nations
...what started out as a a diplomatic initiative, now trying to edge its way into legislative, judicial, and executive areas...
mission in Darfur and local authorities to try to resolve the matter.
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