UN probes firing on Indian troopers by Pakistani officer

NEW DELHI - The United Nations is probing an incident of firing by a Pakistani army officer on an Indian paramilitary camp that is part of a peacekeeping mission in Liberia.

An officer deployed in a Pakistan Army unit at Zwerdu city in Liberia opened fire at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp June 8, Ajai Chaturvedi, spokesperson of the Indian paramilitary force, told IANS here.

“There was some damage to property. Fortunately, no injuries were sustained by any of our personnel,” Chaturvedi said.

He said the incident was being probed by the UN after the CRPF sent a report to the joint secretary UN in the ministry of external affairs.

“The UN has begun investigations in the matter and a board of enquiry has been set up,” the CRPF spokesperson said.

Some ammunition and a rifle were recovered from in front of the CRPF post after the incident.

The UN has established a peacekeeping force in Liberia since September 2003 to monitor a ceasefire agreement following a civil war in the west African nation that claimed nearly 250,000 lives - mostly civilians - from 1989.

There are some 1,000 uniformed personnel from different countries, including India and Pakistan, deployed with the United Nations Mission in Liberia.

India has two CRPF units in Liberia - one each at the Liberian capital Monrovia and Zwerdu, some 560 km southeast of the capital.