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| Five Indian UN troops are killed in South Sudan | Five Indian UN troops are killed in South Sudan |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Five Indian peacekeepers escorting a UN convoy in South Sudan have been killed in an ambush by rebels, the Indian foreign ministry has said. | Five Indian peacekeepers escorting a UN convoy in South Sudan have been killed in an ambush by rebels, the Indian foreign ministry has said. |
| Spokesman Syed Akbaruddin tweeted that the peacekeepers were serving with the UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (Unmiss). | Spokesman Syed Akbaruddin tweeted that the peacekeepers were serving with the UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (Unmiss). |
| An unnamed UN official told the AP news agency that seven civilians were also killed in the attack. | |
| The violence happened in the state of Jonglei, a haven for armed groups. | |
| Unmiss has been in South Sudan since the country's creation in 2011, with a remit to preserve peace and security. | Unmiss has been in South Sudan since the country's creation in 2011, with a remit to preserve peace and security. |
| Mr Akbaruddin said four Indian soldiers were also wounded in the attack, and arrangements were being made to bring those killed back to India. | Mr Akbaruddin said four Indian soldiers were also wounded in the attack, and arrangements were being made to bring those killed back to India. |
| The soldiers had been killed while "escorting a UN convoy", he told the AFP news agency. The UN says the attack took place between the towns of Pibor and Bor. | |
| Correspondents say that Jonglei has been hit by widespread ethnic violence since South Sudan became independent from Sudan in July 2011 - with much of it taking place in Pibor county, where the UN peacekeeping force is based. | |
| Unmiss chief Hilde Johnson said last month that the government was expected soon to launch an offensive against fighters loyal to local rebel leader David Yau Yau in Jonglei. | |
| The UN has blamed Tuesday's attack on militants led by Mr Yau Yau, who South Sudan says is being armed by Sudan. | |
| On Monday Ms Johnson urged authorities and communities in Jonglei state "to take all necessary steps to prevent inter-communal violence and attacks by armed groups which are threatening civilians and spurring a deadly cycle of violence". | |
| "The destabilisation of Jonglei must stop," she said. | |
| Insecurity in the state has been exacerbated by a cattle-raiding feud between rival ethnic groups, which has left hundreds of people dead and some 100,000 displaced since independence. | |
| India is a major contributor to UN peacekeeping forces around the world and has suffered losses in the past. |