Peacekeeping patrol in Sudan's Darfur region ambushed

UNITED NATIONS – The international peacekeeping mission in Sudan's troubled Darfur region says an armed group has ambushed a patrol, seizing weapons and injuring one peacekeeper.

The joint U.N.-African Union mission known as UNAMID says the ambush took place Thursday near Anka in North Darfur, approximately 55 kilometers north of Kutum.

The statement says the attackers greatly outnumbered the peacekeepers and seized one machine gun, four rifles and ammunition.

UNAMID condemns the attack and says it is working with Sudanese authorities to investigate.

Darfur has been in turmoil since 2003, when ethnic Africans rebelled, accusing the Arab-dominated Sudanese government of discrimination, which it denies. The United Nations says 300,000 people have died in the conflict.

The peacekeeping mission is under pressure from Sudan's government to leave the country.