PM anguished at peacekeepers' death in SSudan

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday expressed anguish at the killing of five Indian UN peacekeepers in a gunbattle in South Sudan while they were escorting a UN convoy.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday expressed anguish at the killing of five Indian UN peacekeepers in a gunbattle in South Sudan while they were escorting a UN convoy.

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"PM expresses anguish at the death of 5 Indian members of UN peace keeping contingent in South Sudan," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said on Twitter.

"I pay tribute to our brave soldiers," it said, quoting him.

The ministry of external affairs said the injured soldiers had been moved to Uganda for treatment.

"Injured Indian peacekeepers moved to Entebbe in Uganda. India's Mission in Kampala providing all assistance for medical treatment," MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted.

Five Indian UN peacekeepers, including a lieutenant colonel, were killed while four were injured when they came under attack in Jonglei in South Sudan.

According to the defence ministry, the bodies of the dead soldiers were being brought to India for their final rites with full military honours.

The Indian Army has contributed to UN peacekeeping operations around the world for over six decades and has currently over 7,000 troops on four missions.