A peacekeeper from Bangladesh was killed when unidentified gunmen ambushed a humanitarian convoy in South Sudan, the United Nations mission in the country said.
South Sudan slid into violence in late 2013 when President Salva Kiir broke with his then deputy Riek Machar, leading to violent clashes between government troops and those aligned to Machar. The two leaders are meeting in neighbouring Sudan to try to reach a peace deal.
Bangladeshi Military Liaison Officer, Lieutenant Commander Ashraf Siddiqui, was in a convoy led by Nepalese peacekeepers providing protection to humanitarian workers travelling from Yei to Lasu when he was killed.
“Several shots were fired at the group by unknown gunmen,” the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said in a statement. Peacekeepers returned fire and the attackers fled.
Both government and rebel forces are in the area where the attack took place. There was no immediate comment from government. Lam Paul Gabriel, deputy spokesman of the opposition SPLM-IO, said rebel troops did not attack aid convoys.
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