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

The sources told Xinhua that the emergency mechanism at the Chinese embassy in Khartoum started its work through contacting the concerned Sudanese authorities.

The mechanism asked those authorities to work to guarantee safety of the two Chinese engineers and ensure their release as soon as possible.

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