Five Indian peacekeepers killed in South Sudan ambush - Times of India

NEW DELHI: Five Indian soldiers, including a Lt-Colonel, were killed and another five injured when the UN convoy they were escorting as part of their peace-keeping operations in strife-torn South Sudan came under heavy fire from armed rebels on Tuesday morning.

The deceased were identified as Lt-Col Mahipal Singh, Naik Subedar Shiv Kumar Pal, Havildars Hira Lal and Bharat Sasmal and sepoy Nand Kishore. Their next of kin will each get $70,000 as grant from the UN, apart from the "higher compensation amounts" paid by the Indian government for "battle casualties" .

Defence ministry officials said the Indian escort team of two officers and 35 other ranks — from the 6 Mahar Regiment and 9 Mechanized Infantry deployed as part of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) — were escorting five UN vehicles from Gumruk to Bor in the volatile state of Jonglei when the rebels ambushed the convoy at about 8.30am local time.

"The rebels opened indiscriminate fire with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. Our soldiers retaliated to protect the convoy. The fierce gunfight continued for around an hour...seven civilians were also killed in the incident, as per the reports we have got," said an official.

While the five injured Indian soldiers, including a Captain, were subsequently evacuated to the capital city of Juba in three UN helicopters for medical treatment, arrangements are being made to bring the bodies of the five killed back to India for" the final rites with full military honours" .

Though over 140 Indian soldiers have been killed in UN missions since India's first commitment to Korea began in 1950, this incident is one of the biggest in terms of lives lost.

Expressing his condolences at the "unfortunate loss of lives", defence minister A K Antony lauded "the bravery exhibited by the Indian soldiers in the highest traditions of the Indian Army and in contribution to the peace and security in the world".

Around 2,200 soldiers from India, which constantly figures in the top three troop contributors for UN missions around the globe, are currently deployed in South Sudan, with one battalion in Jonglei and another in Malakkal on the border with Sudan. UNMISS has been deployed in South Sudan, since the country became independent from Sudan in July 2011, to preserve peace and security amid widespread ethnic violence.

While India currently has 6,950 soldiers deployed in different UN missions, the contingents in war-ravaged Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan are the largest in terms of numbers. Indian soldiers have come under attack in D R Congo too, with at least five being killed and several others injured while undertaking peace-keeping duties there over the last three years.

India has deployed well over 100,000 Indian troops, military observers and police officers in UN missions over the last 55 years but it has not yet yielded much in terms of its efforts to seek a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, or even in its attempts to seek a greater role in world affairs.

But the large troop contribution does reinforce India's claim for a permanent seat when the UNSC is expanded as well as provides handsome monetary compensation and "international exposure" to its soldiers. It also accrues a lot of goodwill for India on the global stage, especially in places like the oil and mineral-rich Africa, where the new "great game" is now being played. China, incidentally, has deployed over 2,000 troops in UN peace-keeping operations, mostly in Africa, after earlier shedding its reservations for such endeavours.

Indian Army battalions covet UN assignments since its troops get UN allowances in dollars, with officers getting $2,200 and other ranks $1,100, which are over and above their Indian rupee salaries being safely deposited at home.

More importantly, it gives the battalions some much-needed respite from being deployed in debilitating counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir and north-east as well as forward posts on the borders with China and Pakistan.