Sudanese officials say 13 police officers were killed and at least 30 wounded during a hostage rescue attempt in the volatile Darfur region Thursday.

Police say the officers were attempting to free three soldiers in Jebel Mara when they confronted an armed gang.

Sudanese newspaper al-Ahdath says one of the hostages is the Italian aid worker kidnapped last month. But a Darfur official told report Reuters news agency that man was not involved in this incident.

Since the fighting between rebels and government forces in Darfur began eight years ago, an estimated 300,000 people have been killed and nearly 3 million others have fled their homes.