Seven civilian employees and contractors and five peacekeepers of the UN Mission in South Sudan lost their lives in an ambush in Jonglei state.

The attack is reported as having occurred near Gumuruk, some 10 km away from Pibor, on Tuesday at around 9:00 am.

Blue-helmeted soldiers were traveling in convoy with UN trucks from Bor toward Pibor as part of a routine armed escort for a humanitarian aid convoy.

The slain peacekeepers belonged to an Indian battalion assigned to the UN Mission, while the civilian victims included two South Sudanese staff and five civilian staff contractors .

Nine other people sustained injuries, five being peacekeepers and the other four civilians.

South Sudan's army spokesman has blamed the attack on rebel forces of David Yau Yau, an insurgent commander operating out of Pibor County in eastern Jonglei State.

Hilde F. Johnson, head of the peacekeeping mission, said “This attack will not deter UNMISS and its peacekeepers from working to protect vulnerable communities in South Sudan.” 

“UNMISS is determined to continue its work in supporting authorities to ensure peace,” she said.

This is not the first incident of its kind, as a number of convoys have been targeted in recent months including a logistics convoy attacked on 30 March on the same route.

Photo: Indian troops in Pibor, 6 March 2013 (UNMISS/Martine Perret)