Five Indian Army personnel, including a lieutenant-Colonel, were killed and five others injured in an attack on their vehicles while escorting a UN peacekeeping convoy in trouble-torn South Sudan on Tuesday. Seven civilians also reportedly died in the attack.
The convoy was proceeding to Bor when it was attacked around 8.30 am local time, about eight km from Gumruk.The 32-member Indian Army team, which escorted the convoy, exchanged fire with suspected rebels for over an hour.
lt-Col Mahipal Singh of 9 Mechanised Infantry besides Naik Subedar Shiv Kumar Pal (6 Mahar), Havaldar Heera lal (9 Mechanised Infantry), Havaldar Bharat Sasmal (9 Mechanised Infantry) and sepoy Nand Kishore (6 Mahar) were killed in the ensuing firefight while five other Indian Armymen, including a Captain were wounded, officials said here.
The attackers used rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and small arms. The injured were later flown by three UN helicopters to South Sudan’s Capital for medical treatment.
The UN and the Indian Embassy were making arrangements to bring the bodies of the soldiers to India.Officials said the Indian Army team in six vehicles was providing protection to the five-vehicle UN convoy when the attack took place. The soldiers returned fire as per provisions of Chapter seven of UN resolution for peacekeeping missions. This chapter allows the Army to open fire in self defence.
As regards compensation to the families of the dead soldiers, sources said they will get more than $70,000 as per UN rules besides all the benefits as per Indian Army rules. Defence Minister AK Antony expressed his condolences at the unfortunate loss of lives of Indian soldiers in the incident.
There are around 2,200 Indian Army personnel deployed in South Sudan since September 2011 comprising two battalions, one based in Jonglei and the other in Malakkal, Upper Nile, on the border with Sudan.
Since South Sudan got independence in July 2011, it has witnessed ethnic strife, with Pibor county, the main base of UN peacekeeping force, being the centre of much of the violence.
The Indian Army was deployed in undivided Sudan in 2005 and then redeployed in 2011 as part of UN peacekeeping after creation of South Sudan. Moreover, the two Indian units which suffered casualties were posted there in September last year for a year-long tenure, officials said.
Incidentally, the Indian Army has lost 144 men since it was deployed in various UN peacekeeping missions since 1950. At present, more than 7,000 Indian Army personnel are deployed on such missions in lebanon, South Sudan, Congo and on the border between Syria and Israel.