7 UN Peacekeepers Killed in Sudan

Seven UN peacekeepers are dead and another 17 wounded after gunmen ambushed a team in Sudan's western region of Darfur. It is the deadliest ever single attack on the international force in the country since it began its work there in five years ago. The assault included sustained heavy fire from machine guns and possibly rocket-propelled grenades, says a UN forces spokesperson. Reinforcements later arrived to rescue the wounded, who included two female police advisers.

It wasn't immediately clear if any civilian personnel accompanied the team into the ambush. The UN has so far not revealed the nationalities of those killed and wounded in the attack. About 40 countries have contributed military personnel or police to the peacekeeping force. No group has claimed responsibility for the assault yet. "The perpetrators should be on notice that they will be pursued for this crime and gross violation of international humanitarian law," says another spokesperson. (More Sudan stories.)