A contingent of Indian Army's Para Regiment will leave next week to join the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) reported Tuesday.

"The contingent from nine Para (Special Forces) ... would be deployed at Goma to provide security to an Indian Air Force (IAF) element and air assets," IANS quoted an Indian Army spokesman as saying.

Led by Major N. S. Dhaliwal, the team will replace a company of10 Garhwal Rifles units currently deployed in Congo. IAF last yearsent a 300-strong team to Congo.

Maj. Gen. R. P. S. Malhan, additional director general for staff duties, addressed the troops of nine Para units at a specialgathering at Delhi Cantonment Tuesday. He urged all ranks to perform their duty with complete dedication and bring glory to thenation.

India has contributed over 65,000 troops to UN peacekeeping missions around the globe since the 1950s. It currently has troops serving with missions in Lebanon, Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Source: Xinhua