Armed insurgents kidnapped and killed a peacekeeper with the African Union/United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID) following a firefight in the north of the war-wracked Sudanese region.
The UN mission issued a press release late Tuesday saying that the armed men ambushed a mission patrol and carjacked a vehicle carrying three peacekeepers. The blue helmets returned fire, killing one of the attackers, but they still managed to flee.
Two of the UNAMID soldiers were later released by the gunmen, although both sustained injuries and one is in a serious condition. The vehicle was later recovered and the third peacekeeper was found to have been killed.
UNAMID has more than 17,700 troops – part of over 23,000 military personnel – on the ground in Darfur, where government forces, allied militia and rebels have been fighting since 2003.