Three kidnapped Russian pilots in Sudan's Darfur freed

The Sudanese government on Tuesday announced the release of three Russian pilots who were kidnapped in Sudan's restive western region of Darfur on Sunday.

"They have been released today. They are in good health and they will be transported to Khartoum sometime today", Muawiya Osman Khalid, the spokesman of the Sudanese Foreign Ministry, told Xinhua.

The ministry spokesman, however, did not give any further details on how the three Russian pilots were released.

In the meantime, the Sudanese Media Center (SMC) reported that the concerned authorities in South Darfur State have managed to free the three Russian pilots after clashes with the kidnappers.

The SMC quoted the South Darfur State Governor, Abdel-Hameed Musa Kasha as saying that "the Russian pilots are now on their way to Nyala and we will receive them. The border quads forces have managed to free the hostages after clashes with the kidnappers".

Unidentified gunmen on Sunday kidnapped three Russian pilots working for the Sudanese Badr Aviation, a private airline company operating in cargo and passenger transport between Sudan's States.

This was the second kidnapping incident against foreigners in Darfur in less than fifteen days.

Unidentified armed group earlier released two Jordanian officers belonging to the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) who were kidnapped on August 14, and on late June two German aid workers were released after 35 days in captivity.

South Darfur State's local authorities on Monday managed to free the American humanitarian aid worker of the Samaritan's Purse who had been in captivity for 100 days.

Source: Xinhua