- As Pakistan identifies soldiers killed in Congo crash
The M23 rebel group has denied shooting down a UN helicopter that crashed on Sunday while carrying peacekeepers on a reconnaissance mission in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The group accused the Congolese army of downing the helicopter while attacking their positions.
“That plane was hit by FARDC [DR Congo’s armed forces]’s shooting.” Major Willy Ngoma, the M23 spokesperson, told the BBC.
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The DR Congo army had on Tuesday blamed the rebels for the crash.
Clashes between the rebels and the Congolese army has seen more than 6,000 civilians flee their homes in Rutshuru area of North Kivu province, according to the Red Cross.
Pakistan identifies soldiers killed in Congo crash
The Pakistani military has released the identities of six soldiers who were killed in a helicopter crash in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The helicopter crashed while undertaking a reconnaissance mission in North Kivu province.
It was carrying six crew members from Pakistan and two military staff from Russia and Serbia respectively.
The Pakistani soldiers were identified as Lt Col Asif Ali Awan, Maj Saad Nomani, Maj Faizan Ali, Naib Subedar Samiullak Khan, Havaldar Muhammad Ismail and Lance Havaldar Muhamad Jamil.
The Pakistani military said the cause of the crash was yet to be ascertained.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his “deep sense of shock and grief”, his office said.
Pakistani Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has tweeted photos of the six soldiers.
