Attack on UN base kills one peacekeeper, two UN police members in DR Congo: MONUSCO

KINSHASA, July 26 (Xinhua) -- A peacekeeper and two members of the United Nations Police were killed Tuesday in Butembo of the North Kivu province, in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), during an attack against the base of UN Stabilization Mission in DRC (MONUSCO) in Butembo, announced MONUSCO late Tuesday in a statement.

According to the statement, a MONUSCO blue helmet was also seriously injured during the incident.

"Attackers violently snatched weapons from elements of the Congolese National Police and fired at point-blank range at our peacekeeping forces," the MONUSCO said in the statement.

The MONUSCO strongly condemned this attack and pledged full cooperation with the competent authorities in any investigation to establish the facts.

The MONUSCO hailed the professionalism and mastery of the peacekeepers who, in each of their interventions, avoided bloodshed, while thanking the authorities, political actors and civil society for their support alongside the mission in these difficult times and reiterating its message of calm and peace to the demonstrators.

During these scuffles against the UN mission in the city of Butembo, the police also confirmed the deaths of at least seven civilians among the demonstrators.

On Tuesday morning, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya confirmed the deaths of five people and around 50 injuries in the demonstration against MONUSCO in the city of Goma, the capital of the province.