Four Chinese oil workers killed in Sudan

Beijing, Oct 28 (Xinhua) At least four Chinese oil workers have been killed following their abduction in western Sudanese region of Darfur, China's foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Officials said nine people working for the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) were abducted on Oct 18 from an oil field in the western Darfur region of the African nation.

Four of the workers were killed by their captors Monday, while four others have been rescued, the ministry said. The fate of one more person is not known.

Earlier, the Chinese embassy in Sudan had reported that five people were killed.

Officials, however, did not disclose who were responsible for the killing and abduction.

Meanwhile China's foreign ministry condemned the killing and urged the Sudanese governemnt to ensure the safety of the Chinese nationals in that country.