South Sudan’s army shot down a United Nations peacekeeping helicopter in the restive Jonglei state on Friday, killing the four Russian crew members onboard, U.N. and military officials said.
A U.N. source said the helicopter was on a reconnaissance mission in an area where the SPLA, South Sudan’s army, has been fighting rebels led by David Yau Yau.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the attack on the “clearly marked” helicopter and in a statement called “on the government of South Sudan to immediately carry out an investigation and bring to account those responsible for this act.”
He demanded measures be put in place to prevent any further incidents in South Sudan, where the U.N. mission known as UNMISS, was created after it seceded from Sudan in July 2011.
