January 4, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - Unidentified gunmen held up Monday salaries of workers of the Ministry of Animal Resources in South Darfur State hours before to pay it.

A group of seven armed men riding a tinted Land Curser vehicle intercepted a truck carrying 300.000 Sudanese pound outside the ministry premises in Nyala and seized the money before to flee to an unknown destination.

.An eye witness affirmed that masked men had raided the ministry’s building at gun point and seized large amounts of money.

People in the regions suspect the militiamen that Khartoum used in the past to fight the rebels of committing such attacks.

A tribal leader under the cover of anonymity affirmed they got familiar with robbery attacks on the government buildings, adding "the government did not deter them and I believe they are pro-government militias".

A pro-government group said to be affiliate to the Border Guards, raided last December a civil court in Nyala city; to set free their indicted affiliates.

On the other hand, the spokesperson for the state government, Buthaina Mohamed Ahmed asserted the occurrence of the incident.

She further said that the attack was priory organized and well prepared.

The spokesperson disclosed the formation of an emergency team under the leadership of the governor to hunt down the perpetrators and restore the stolen money.

(ST)