Sudanese Police Find Car Used for Abducting Bulgarians

A file photograph shows a Sudanese man with bullet wounds in the MSF (Medicines Sans Frontier) clinic as staff busily go about their work, Darfur, Sudan. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The police in Sudan have found the car with which the three Bulgarian air crew members working for the United Nations were abducted, the Bulgarian private bTV reported.

The three, said to be a helicopter crew, were seized in Darfur region by armed men at an air strip on Thursday, according to the UN World Food Programme.

According to the information, the kidnappers are almost identified. They are believed to come from a local tribe and not be involved in a military group. They are also believed to kidnap for money and not for food, as it was recently reported.

Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry confirmed that they have launched a rescue operation with the cooperation of the UN and Sudanese government.

The identities of the abducted Bulgarians have not been revealed, but unconfirmed reports say one of them is the father of CSKA youth team player Bozhidar Chorbadjiisky.

Bandits and armed groups frequently kidnap U.N. and international aid workers in Darfur. The kidnappings have increased since March 2009, when the International Criminal Court indicted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for alleged war crimes in the region.

Most of the hostages have been released unharmed.

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