3 soldiers killed in UN Congo mission
Three Indian soldiers were killed in Congo on Wednesday when a company operating base where they were stationed — as part of the United Nations peace-keeping mission — was attacked by rebels belonging to the “Mayi Mayi” group.
The three soldiers belonged to the 19 Kumaon Regiment and were part of the 301 Infantry Brigade Group that is deployed as part of the MONUSCO, the UN peace-keeping mission to Congo.
The attack was meticulously planned in the early hours of the morning, as five “innocent-looking” civilians approached the base at Kirumba seeking “assistance” and then engaged the guard on duty in conversation.
Suddenly, about 60 rebels emerged from the jungles and fired at the base which resulted in the death of the three Indian soldiers and injuries to seven others.
The rebels then escaped back into the forests under the cover of darkness.
The attack began at about 1.50 am on Wednesday (Congo time). An operation was then launched to track down the attackers.
There are currently an estimated 3,500 Indian Army personnel in Congo on UN peace-keeping duties.
India is one of the largest contributors to the United Nations peacekeeping missions.
How the attackers managed to inflict casualties and whether there was any security breach will be ascertained as part of the investigations.
It also remains unclear why the Mayi Mayi group chose to target Indian soldiers. Indian troops have distinguished themselves in the UN peace-keeping duties.
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