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FK8438/2022
The Puma helicopter involved in the crash
Crash概要
日期2022年3月29日 (2022-03-29)
摘要Crashed due to unknown reason during a reconnaissance mission
地點Rutshuru region of North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo
飞机概要
机型Aérospatiale SA330 Puma
營運者Pakistan Army Aviation Corps
註冊編號810
乘客2
機組人員6
死亡8
生還者0

On 29 March 2022, a Puma helicopter belonging to the Pakistan Army's aviation division and assigned to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) crashed during a reconnaissance mission over the province of North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. The crash killed all eight UN Peacekeepers on board, six from Pakistan and one each from Russia and Serbia.

Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN, Munir Akram, confirmed the identities' of the soldiers on board the helicopter.[來源請求]

Events 编辑

On 29 March, MONUSCO lost contact with a helicopter on a reconnaissance mission in eastern Congo, in the area around the village of Tshanzu, southeast of the more regionally important town of Rutshuru.[1][2]

A search and rescue operation recovered the bodies later that day and took them to Goma, the province's capital.[3]

The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo said the helicopter crash was intentionally shot down by the rebel March 23 Movement (M23), which had launched an offensive against the government shortly before the crash. M23 spokesman Willy Ngoma accused the Congolese government of lying, saying that the group suspected the military to be responsible.[3][4] Fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 had been going on for several days before the crash in North Kivu.[5][6]

Reactions 编辑

Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan said that he was filled with a "deep sense of horror and grief," thanking the Pakistani military for their operations.[7]

See also 编辑

References 编辑

  1. ^ M23 rebels in DR Congo deny shooting down UN helicopter. BBC News. 2022-03-30 [2022-03-31] (英国英语). 
  2. ^ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. DR Congo: Eight UN peacekeepers killed in helicopter crash | DW | 29.03.2022. DW.COM. [2022-03-31] (英国英语). 
  3. ^ 3.0 3.1 Bujakera, Stanis; Mahamba, Fiston. U.N. chopper crashes in eastern Congo, 8 peacekeepers killed, army blames rebels. Reuters. 2022-03-30 [2022-03-31] (英语). 
  4. ^ AfricaNews. DR Congo: M23 rebel group denies attack on UN helicopter. Africanews. 2022-03-30 [2022-03-31] (英语). 
  5. ^ UN helicopter with 8 on board crashes in DR Congo, army blames M23 rebels. www.aa.com.tr. [2022-03-30]. 
  6. ^ UN Confirms Deaths of 8 Peacekeepers in Congo Helicopter Crash. VOA. [2022-03-31] (英语). 
  7. ^ Eight killed as UN helicopter crashes in eastern DRC. www.aljazeera.com. [2022-03-31] (英语).