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2nd LD Writethru: UN Security Council voices regret at death of two peacekeepers in Mali

Xinhua, March 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

The UN Security Council on Tuesday voiced its regret at the death of two UN peacekeepers, who died from an accident of a helicopter in Mali earlier in the day.

"The members of the Security Council expressed their regret at the death of two Dutch peacekeepers of the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) in the region of Gao, Mali, on 17 March 2015, which resulted from the accident of a MINUSMA helicopter," said a press statement issued here by the 15-nation UN body.

The United Nations helicopter on Tuesday crashed in northern Mali, killing the two Dutch crew members, MINUSMA said in a statement, adding that the two-man crew of the Apache helicopter performed a "hard landing'' during the exercise near Gao, it said.

Investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash.

The Netherlands has 450 military personnel, four Apache and three Chinook helicopters in Mali as part of the UN mission.

"The members of the Security Council extended their deepest condolences to the government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and to the families of the two peacekeepers, who lost their lives in this tragic accident," said the statement.

The council members reiterated their full support for the special representative of the UN secretary-general in Mali and MINUSMA to assist the Malian authorities and the Malian people in their efforts to bring lasting peace and stability to their country, as mandated by the Security Council in resolution 2164, adopted in 2014, the statement said.

MINUSMA and the Netherlands will send specialized investigators to the scene to establish the exact circumstances of the accident, it said.

Mali descended into conflict after a coup in 2012, and has faced an insurgency led by Islamist militants.

The UN mission in Mali has more than 8,000 military personnel and nearly 1,000 police. It was set up in April 2013 by the Security Council. Endi