Police Say 13 Killed in Darfur Hostage Rescue Bid

Thirteen Sudanese police officers were killed and 30 wounded in clashes with an armed gang as they tried to rescue three hostages in the war-torn Darfur region, a police spokesman 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 wounded," Ahmed al-Tughani told Agence 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 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 armed men 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 mission in Darfur and local authorities to try to resolve the matter.