20100814
xinhuanet

KHARTOUM -- Two peacekeepers of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) were abducted on Saturday by unknown gunmen in the South Darfur State in western Sudan, the peacekeeping mission said in a statement.

The two peacekeepers, who were identified only as "police advisors," were abducted at about local time 07:55 (0455 GMT) in Nyala, the capital city of the South Darfur State, the statement said.

The two officers, who had been walking to a UNAMID transport dispatch point, were 100 meters from their residence in the city's Almatar area when they were abducted by three gunmen in a vehicle, the statement added.

An investigation into the incident has been launched by the Sudanese government and the UNAMID.

The UNAMID forces were deployed in the restive Darfur region in 2007 to monitor a fragile ceasefire reached between the Sudanese government and rebel groups. Since then, more than 20 UNAMID members have been killed in various attacks and other accidents.