Indian Peacekeepers Killed In Congo

Sadly, 3 more names have been added to the list of more than 100 soldiers who have been killed while serving in the UN Congo peacekeeping mission.

Dozens of rebels attacked a U.N. peacekeeping base under darkness in eastern Congo early Wednesday, killing three Indian soldiers and wounding seven other peacekeepers, an Indian army official said.

Indian army spokesman Virendra Singh said up to 50 rebels attacked a base in Kirumba in North Kivu province around 2 a.m., leading to an exchange of gunfire.

Nearly 4,000 Indian army soldiers are part of the U.N. Congo peacekeeping mission, which has about 20,000 people from various countries.

Jado Ikosi, a human rights activist who lives near the Kirumba peacekeeping base, told The Associated Press that gangs entered the base after killing the guard with a spear.

Ikosi said locals heard gunshots from 1:30 a.m. to 2 a.m., but the attackers had fled the scene by the time people awoke in the morning. The attackers left behind shoes that fell off when they were fleeing and signs of blood on the fences surrounding the base, he said.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the U.N. Security Council condemned the attack and called on Congo's government to launch an immediate investigation and ensure that the perpetrators are "swiftly" brought to justice.

By: Shelldrake