With two Indian peacekeepers among 117 military, police and civilian personnel honoured with a prestigious UN medal, VC of Army Staff Lieutenant Gen Sarath Chand on Monday stated that the country has contributed 6,900 military personnel among 1, 15, 000 peacekeepers in various missions.
Speaking to ANI, Sarath Chand said "A total of 168 Indian peacekeepers lost their lives since UN Operations began. In 2016, 117 peacekeepers from around the world lost their lives. At present India is contributing around 6,900 military personnel among the 1, 15,000 peacekeepers in various missions".
On May 24, two Indian peacekeepers among 117 military, police and civilian personnel were honored with a prestigious UN medal awarded posthumously for their courage and sacrifice in the line of duty.
Rifleman Brijesh Thapa who served with the UN Organisation Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and Private Ravi Kumar who was deployed with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were honoured with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
India is the largest cumulative troop contributor, having provided almost 200,000 troops in nearly 50 of the 71 peacekeeping missions mandated over the past six decades, including 13 of the current 16 missions.
So far, about 168 Indian troops have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty under the UN Flag.
India currently deploys more than 7,600 military and police personnel to UN peace operations in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia, the Middle East, South Sudan, Sudan and the Western Sahara.
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