UN peacekeepers, civilians killed in ambush in South Sudan

JUBA, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The UN mission in South Sudan said in a statement that a number of its peacekeepers and some civilians were killed on Tuesday in an ambush staged by unknown militants in the country's east.

The statement, however, did not specify the exact number of casualties or their nationalities in the attack that occurred in Jonglei state. Media reports have quoted UN sources as saying the civilian death toll was at least seven.

Meanwhile, the Indian foreign ministry confirmed the ambush in South Sudan and said five Indian peacekeepers were killed in it.

"Five peacekeepers from India with UNMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan) (were) killed in an ambush in Jonglei," Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin wrote on his Twitter account.

He wrote that four other Indian soldiers were also wounded in the attack, and arrangements were being made to bring those killed back to India.

The UN mission has been in South Sudan since 2011 to help the government to restore security to the newly created country where a huge amount of weapons are in the hands of fighters.

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