Nairobi/Khartoum, Dec 6 - Three UN peacekeepers were killed in an attack by unknown gunmen in Sudan's volatile western Darfur region, a spokesman for the peacekeeping mission said.

Two of the three Rwandan UNAMID soldiers died at the scene of the attack near a government checkpoint some two kilometres from the UNAMID base. A third soldier later died of his injuries. They were among a group of 20 peacekeepers escorting a water tank when they came under fire.

The deaths brought to 20 the number of peacekeepers killed since the start of the UNAMID mission in early 2008. The mission is comprised of peacekeepers from the UN and the African Union.

Around 19,000 UNAMID soldiers and police are stationed in Darfur, a region the size of France.

According to UN estimates, around 300,000 people have died in the ongoing conflict in Darfur since 2003. A further 2.5 million people are being sheltered in refugee camps. (dpa)