KHARTOUM, July 13: Seven peacekeepers were killed on Saturday in an ambush in Sudan’s Darfur region, the African Union-UN Mission said, marking the worst losses in the five-year history of the operation.

UNAMID released few initial details of the incident, which adds to worsening violence in Sudan’s far-west region and happened near the peacekeepers’ base at Manawashi, north of the South Darfur state capital Nyala.

“Seven peacekeepers were killed and 17 were injured,” said UNAMID’s acting spokesman Christopher Cycmanick. The attack took place about 25km west of another UNAMID base at Khar Abeche, he said.

The patrol “was going from one team site to another”, he added.—AFP