7 UN peacekeepers were killed in Sudan

In Darfur, the controversial region on the border of Sudan, seven peacekeepers of the UN were killed as a result of an attack by militants. The mission of the organization (Yunumid) confirmed the information officially.

The detachment of peacekeepers was ambushed on Saturday morning 25 km from the mission base in the choir-abesh. "The Yunamid team fell under a powerful shelling from a large group of armed persons. After a long shootout, the patrol was rescued by the reinforcement of Yunumid, which arrived from the mission’s bases in the choir-abashi and Manavashi. Seven still 17 military and police officers, including two women, were wounded," the ITA-TASS mission quotes the message.

The nationality of the dead is not specified. According to the France Press Agency earlier, the units from Tanzania were responsible for the sector in which the attack occurred.

The joint special representative of the UN and the African Union in Darfur Muhammad ibn Shambas condemned the attack on the peacekeepers, threatening the militants with accounting for "gross violation of international humanitarian law."

The current incident with the participation of peacekeepers in the province of Darfur became the most serious incident since the establishment of their mission in 2007. Since then, in the provinces, the status of which is disputed by Sudan and South Sudan, more than 130 "blue helmets" have died.

The Mission of Yunumid in the region has more than 19 thousand troops and police officers, as well as about 4,500 civilian employees and volunteers.