Sudanese army kills 6 toursit-kidnappers

September 28, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan killed six tourists kidnappers in a high-speed chase near the Egyptian border, also Khartoum said the hostages are now in Chad.

Osman Mohamed Al-Aghbash Sudanese army spokesperson said today a mobile military unit clashed with the tourist-kidnappers the remote area of northern Sudan. The force killed six gunmen and arrested two others. He also said five Sudanese troops were wounded among them an officer.

The Sudanese unit was back from the Egyptian-Libyan border with Sudan when it saw the alleged kidnapper vehicle heading to Egypt. The Sudanese authorities said they were going to Egypt to receive the requested ransom.

Five Germans, five Italians, a Romanian and eight Egyptians are kidnapped since last Friday while they were on a desert safari through the far southwest of Egypt. They had been in Sudan for the first time since last Tuesday.

Still there is some opacity about the identity of the kidnappers. The Sudanese army spokesperson said the chief of the kidnapper who is killed is a Chadian called “Bakheit”. He also accused the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) of being involved in this operation.

However the SLM factions and JEM dismissed any participation in this “terrorist operation” and accused Khartoum of fabricating the news to involve their groups in the kidnapping and seeking to present portray them as criminal organisations.

The Sudanese army statement also said that the hostages are now inside the Chadian territory in Tabat Shagarra area with a force of thirty gunmen with them.

But the spokesperson of the Chadian government Mahamat Hissene denied the Sudanese statement saying “We have noticed nothing on Chadian national territory.” Also the European and the French troops based in eastern Chad said had not spotted the kidnappers in Chadian territory.

The Sudanese foreign ministry said Sunday it had transmitted the details of today’s operation to the Egyptian government and the three countries concerned by the abduction: Germany, Italia and Romania. The Ambassadors of the three countries in Khartoum will be received Monday, a statement said.

German officials have been negotiating with the kidnappers, but an Egyptian official said the deal is not yet finalized. The gunmen demand 6 millions of euro in ransom.

(ST)