Representatives of the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) pay respects to peacekeepers who sacrificed their lives, during celebrations of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers held by the UNAMID in Darfur, Sudan, on May 29, 2018. (Xinhua/Zhang Kang)

More than 60 people have been killed and another 60 wounded in fresh violence in the West Darfur region of Sudan, UN officials announced Sunday.

Around 500 armed men attacked Masteri Town in Darfur on Saturday afternoon, said the statement from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The attackers targeted members of the local Masalit community, looting and burning houses and part of the local market, the statement added.

"This was one of the latest of a series of security incidents reported over the last week that left several villages and houses burned, markets and shops looted, and infrastructure damaged," said the statement, from the OCHA's Khartoum office.

Following Saturday's attack on Masteri, around 500 local people staged a protest demanding more protection from the authorities.

Members of the Masalit community said they would not bury their dead until the authorities took action, said the OCHA.

On Sunday, Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said the government would send security forces to the conflict-stricken region to "protect citizens and the farming season."

AFP