Tuesday, March 26, 2013

French forces kill two Indians in Bangui airport

In these photos taken on Friday March 22, 2013 and provided on Monday March 25, 2013 by the French Army Communications Audio visual office, French soldiers arrive at Bangui airport, Central Africa Republic. Rebels overthrew Central African Republic's president of a decade on Sunday, seizing the presidential palace and declaring that the desperately poor country has "opened a new page in its history." The country's president fled the capital, while extra French troops moved to secure the airport, officials said. (AP Photo/Elise Foucaud, ECPAD)
PARIS, March 25 (Xinhua) -- French defence ministry confirmed that French forces fired on vehicles trying to enter the Bangui airport in Central African Republic, killing two Indian nationals.

The accident occurred "in a particularly confusing situation", as French troops based in the Bangui airport had been fired upon "from an unknown source," the ministry said in a statement.

"These vehicles were transporting Chadian and Indian nationals. Despite warning shots fired by troops guarding the site, the vehicles kept going at high speed," the ministry said in a statement.

"Two Indian nationals died. French forces immediately took charge of the injured Indian and the Chadian, who were driven to an aid facility," the ministry said.

It is reported that five other Indians and four Chadians got wounded in this accident.

Expressing deeply regret for the accident, the French defence ministry has decided to conduct an investigation to determine the exact circumstances.

France has sent 350 soldiers to the Central African Republic over the weekend to reinforce its protection of French citizens in the conflict-ridden country where the capital Bangui was seized by rebels who ousted the president on Sunday.

from XINHUA
2013-03-26 07:43:43

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