Two Chinese engineers, working at an oil field belonging to a Sudanese oil company in Sudan's West Kordofan State, were abducted by unidentified men on Friday, according to sources at the Chinese Embassy in Khartoum on Sunday.

The sources told the Xinhua  News Agency that the emergency mechanism was put into action and the embassy has  contacted Sudanese authorities.

The Sudanese have been asked to guarantee the safety of the two Chinese engineers and ensure their release as soon as possible.

Local Sudanese media reported earlier Sunday that an armed group, belonging to the Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement, attacked Kanar oil field of the Sudanese Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company at Balila town in West Kordofan State and abducted three engineers, the two Chinese workers and a Sudanese.

Rebel groups have been active at the borders of Darfur and Kordofan regions in western Sudan where these groups usually target vital projects such as the oil fields to put pressure on the central government in Khartoum.

China is the main investor in Sudan's oil sector, which is vital to the nation's economy.

Last week, President Omar al-Bashir put the country's output at 124,000 barrels per day.

Xinhua - AFP