New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) A contingent of Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel being sent to join the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo will serve alongside Pakistani soldiers.
IAF officials said the contingent, comprising 285 personnel and six Mi-17 transport helicopters and four Mi-35 helicopter gunships, would be deployed at Bukavu to provide cover to Pakistan infantry troops.
It is a region that rebel forces recently captured.
"Our forces will live and operate with the Pakistani peacekeepers at Bukavu," an IAF official told IANS.
The IAF already has another contingent equipped with helicopters deployed at Goma, also in Congo, where too the Indian personnel are working along with Pakistani troops.
Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi addressed the contingent being sent to Bukavu here Friday and described the ongoing interaction between Indian and Pakistani forces at Goma as "symbiotic".
Group Captain A.C. Bharali, who is heading the IAF team to be sent to Bukavu, said: "We have no doubts we will operate together (with the Pakistanis) for the peacekeeping operations."
The second IAF contingent is being sent to Congo on a request from the UN, which was impressed by the professionalism of the first team deployed there over a year ago, said IAF spokesman Squadron Leader Mahesh Upasani.
"Multi-skilling, high morale and the professional competence of the personnel will prove to be force multipliers for the IAF contingent," said Upasani.
India has also contributed over 2,800 soldiers for the UN mission in Congo, where the situation is tense following an incursion by Rwandan forces ahead of elections scheduled for June 2005.
The Indian Army and IAF returned to Congo after over 44 years, and their participation in the UN mission there during 1960-64 went down in history as the first "peace enforcement operation" involving the use of military force.
India is one of the largest contributors of troops for UN peacekeeping missions, a move that is in line with its ambition to become a permanent member of the Security Council, say experts.
Indian has lost 109 troops in peacekeeping missions, including 39 who died in the operations in Congo during 1960-64.
Indo-Asian News Service
http://www.eians.net/2005/01/14/14air.html
Nice to see pakistan and India working with each other rather than against each other
IAF officials said the contingent, comprising 285 personnel and six Mi-17 transport helicopters and four Mi-35 helicopter gunships, would be deployed at Bukavu to provide cover to Pakistan infantry troops.
It is a region that rebel forces recently captured.
"Our forces will live and operate with the Pakistani peacekeepers at Bukavu," an IAF official told IANS.
The IAF already has another contingent equipped with helicopters deployed at Goma, also in Congo, where too the Indian personnel are working along with Pakistani troops.
Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi addressed the contingent being sent to Bukavu here Friday and described the ongoing interaction between Indian and Pakistani forces at Goma as "symbiotic".
Group Captain A.C. Bharali, who is heading the IAF team to be sent to Bukavu, said: "We have no doubts we will operate together (with the Pakistanis) for the peacekeeping operations."
The second IAF contingent is being sent to Congo on a request from the UN, which was impressed by the professionalism of the first team deployed there over a year ago, said IAF spokesman Squadron Leader Mahesh Upasani.
"Multi-skilling, high morale and the professional competence of the personnel will prove to be force multipliers for the IAF contingent," said Upasani.
India has also contributed over 2,800 soldiers for the UN mission in Congo, where the situation is tense following an incursion by Rwandan forces ahead of elections scheduled for June 2005.
The Indian Army and IAF returned to Congo after over 44 years, and their participation in the UN mission there during 1960-64 went down in history as the first "peace enforcement operation" involving the use of military force.
India is one of the largest contributors of troops for UN peacekeeping missions, a move that is in line with its ambition to become a permanent member of the Security Council, say experts.
Indian has lost 109 troops in peacekeeping missions, including 39 who died in the operations in Congo during 1960-64.
Indo-Asian News Service
http://www.eians.net/2005/01/14/14air.html
Nice to see pakistan and India working with each other rather than against each other
