DHAKA: Three Bangladeshi ‘blue helmet’ holders were inured when a rebel group ambushed a joint Pakistani-Bangladeshi convoy of the United Nations Multinational Integrated Mission in Central African Republic (MINUSCA) on Thursday, said a press release.

Inter Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) issued the release, singed by its assistant director Muhammad Reza-ul Karim, on Friday night.

The inured soldiers are Iqbal Hossain, son of Golam Mostafa of Mukundpur village of Satkhira district, Jasim Uddin, son of Hasan Ali of Naltona village under Salia thana of Barguna district, and Moazzem Hussain , son of  Abdul Malek of Murafata village of Jhalakathi district.

Of them, Idbal is in critical condition and is undergoing treatment at a French hospital at M’Poko camp while the two others are in stable condition.

The convey came under the ambush in the outskirts of Bangui, a place nearly 1.5 kilometer away from a MINUSCA transit camp, on it its way back from MINUSCA Force Headquarters at 06:05pm local time .

The ambush killed a Pakistani peacekeeper and wounded seven others in total including the three Bangladeshi.
 
Major General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed of Bangladesh, who is the deputy force commander of MINUSCA, was in the convoy and, however, sustained no injuries.
The head of the UN mission, Babacar Gaye, strongly condemned the ambush.



"This crime against the UN peacekeepers, who are here to help the people of the Central African Republic, is unacceptable and the perpetrators will be held accountable and brought to justice," he said.

The Central African Republic has been witnessing the months of unprecedented violence between Christians and Muslims that forced thousands of Muslims fleeing the country. At least 5,000 people have died.

Some 102 peacekeepers died in 2013, 36 from direct attacks and others from accidents and illnesses and, 112 peacekeepers were killed in 2012, according the UN.

BDST: 2330 HRS, OCT 10, 2014