An Egyptian officer belonging to the African peacekeeping force died from wounds Saturday following an attack by unknown gunmen in the troubled western Sudanese region of Darfur.

Well-informed sources told Xinhua that the Egyptian officer, whom they identified as a major without disclosing the name, was attacked by two armed persons not far away from the headquarters of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) in Fashir, the capital of North Darfur State.

The Egyptian office was stopped on Friday by the two gunmen who asked him to hand over all his money to them and then opened fire on him, said the sources.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman confirmed to Xinhua that the victim was Lieutenant Colonel Ihab Ahmad.

The latest incident increased the number of the AU peacekeeping force killed in Darfur to 18 since it was deployed in the western Sudanese region in 2004.

During recent months, the 7800-strong African force have been repeatedly attacked by unknown militants, who in most cases robbed vehicles, equipment and properties without causing human casualties.

There are currently 34 Egyptian officers working as military observers in the AMIS force in Darfur.

Last month, the Egyptian government announced that it would send more than 500 soldiers to take part in the 3000 reinforcement troops to be jointly deployed by the Unite Nations and AU as a part of their plan to enhance the peacekeeping mission in Darfur.

Source: Xinhua