In this photo made available Monday by African Mission in Sudan, a seriously injured African Union (AMIS) soldier is carried from Haskanita military camp, in Haskanita, Darfur, Sudan, to a waiting helicopter Sunday to be evacuated for medical treatment. The camp came under sustained and heavy attack by an armed militia who overran the base early Sunday killing 10 protection force troops in the attack, injuring many and another 22 still missing.

El Fasher, Sudan ? The 1,000 Darfur rebels waited until sunset, the end of the Ramadan fast, to begin their assault. Some of the outgunned African peacekeepers, caught by surprise, fought back. Others fled into the scrublands, and at the end 10 of them were dead.

The rebels overran the African Union peacekeeping outpost, seized six armored vehicles and fled Sunday morning when the Sudanese army arrived at the base on the outskirts of the town of Haskanita in North Darfur where 157 peacekeepers and support staff were stationed.

“We were just preparing for dinner when the first rocket hit us,” one peacekeeper said.

Though AU soldiers have been attacked regularly since their mission was deployed in June 2004, the raid on Haskanita was the first time one of its bases has been overrun and the AU said it was the heaviest loss of life.

Most of the 157 peacekeepers on the base were Nigerian but there were also military observers from Botswana, Senegal and Mali.

Ten died in the attack, one was in critical condition and six other injured were taken to the Sudanese capital Khartoum for treatment.

Three peacekeepers were still missing late Monday, believed wandering the dangerous desert in a war zone around the base. Earlier, the AU said 23 peacekeepers were unaccounted for, but by late Monday, officials said 20 had reached another peacekeeping base.

The attack raised new concerns about risks to a planned deployment of a joint African-U.N. force of 26,000, expected to be much more robust than the current 7,000-strong AU force.

Two key peacekeeping countries, Nigeria and Senegal, said Monday they may have second thoughts about committing troops. Nigeria and Senegal both lost soldiers in the attack.

Darfur rebels have grown increasingly hostile to the AU force, saying it favors the Sudanese government and has failed to protect Darfur civilians.

Some rebel leaders also said the fighters stormed the Haskanita base because they suspected the AU was giving away their positions to the Sudanese army, which has been bombing the area for two weeks.

The AU denies any favoritism and has often complained its forces are over-stretched and undersupplied.