Sudan war: Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers killed in attack on UN base
Bangladesh is one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions and its troops have long been deployed in Sudan.
Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers have been killed, and eight others were injured in "a terrorist attack” on a UN base, the Bangladeshi army has said.
In a statement on Facebook on Saturday, the army said that the incident took place in Abyei and the fighting was ongoing.
There was no immediate comment from the UN mission.
In a statement, the Sudanese government condemned the attack that hit the UN facility, accusing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of being behind the strike.
The Sovereignty Council headed by army chief General Abdel Fattah al Burhan called the attack a "dangerous escalation."
Volatile region
Bangladesh is one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions, and its troops have long been deployed in Abyei, a volatile region disputed between Sudan and South Sudan.
The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) peacekeeping mission was deployed in 2011.
The oil-rich Abyei Administrative Area is administered by South Sudan and Sudan, with both claiming stakes and having been embroiled in conflict for years.
The mission mandate was renewed last month.