DHAKA: A total of 127 personnel of the Bangladesh Army and the Bangladesh Navy will leave for Mali, a West African country, to join United Nations (UN) Peace Keeping Operation on Tuesday afternoon.

Of them, 112 are from Bangladesh Army and 15 from Navy.

Army Headquarters and Vehicle Wing Director Brigadier General Mohamamd Abdus Sobhan Chowdhury, in a press briefing, made the disclosure at Shahjalal International Airport in city around 1:00pm.

Colonel Mohammad Jahangir Harun will lead the team and they will fly by a flight of Jordan Airways around 4:00pm.

This is the first time that six contingents—five from army including an infantry battalion and one from navy--are going to Mali for UN peacekeeping operations.

BDST: 1650 HRS, APR 01, 2014