20100820
africanews

Soldiers have arrested at least two suspects in the killings of three Indian United Nations peacekeepers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a military spokesperson said. It is reported that, the arrests came the morning after the three Indian peacekeepers died during a raid of the UN base in Kirumba.

Major Vianney Kazarama said two men were arrested after they said they participated in an attack on a UN base in Kirumba early on Wednesday. He said the two were from a local militia known as Pareco, one of dozens of armed groups from Rwanda and the DRC who have battled one another and the army in the region for more than a decade.

A UN spokesperson said up to 50 rebels attacked the base and several others were wounded.

The bodies of the three peacekeepers have been flown back to India.

Nearly 4 000 Indian soldiers are part of the UN's DRC peacekeeping mission, which has more than 16 000 troops from various countries.