Military rescues Indian, Nigerian peacekeepers

Military rescues Indian, Nigerian peacekeepers
ASSOCIATED PRESS

FREETOWN, JULY 15: A UN military operation today rescued all 220 Indian peacekeepers and 11 military observers who had been trapped by rebels inside a UN base in eastern Sierra Leone, a UN spokeswoman said.

Hirut Befecadu said the 220 detained Indian troops who had been unable to leave the rebel held town of Kailahun since May, were liberated by a UN military team and were on their way to road to the nearby town of daru.

The 11 military obsevers, from various countries, were flown by helicopters to Freetown, Befecadu said.

No other details were immediately available.

A UN statement delivered to journalists earlier this morning said the UN rescue team consisted of troops from India, Ghana and Nigeria. UN force commander Maj Gen Vijay Jaitley oversaw the mission from a nearby UN base in the town of Daru, according to the statement.

The detained peacekeepers still had their weapons but over the past two weeks, the rebels refused to allow the UN force in Sierra Leone, known as UNAMSIL, to send them food supplies by road or air.

The recent torrential rains had also limited the detained peacekeepers' ability to move, the statement added.