Clashes between militia, UN peacekeepers leave 17 dead in Central African Republic

Seventeen fighters of an armed group in a Bangui suburb were killed and 30 others injured during violent confrontation with UN peacekeepers in Central African Republic, Red Cross and hospital sources told Xinhua on Tuesday.

A team of UN peacekeepers was confronted with violent resistance on Monday afternoon in Bangui's PK5 suburb when it had gone to seek the release of six Central African Republic's police officers who had been held hostage during a patrol on Saturday in this largely Muslim zone that is the stronghold of ex-Seleka rebels.

The six police officers were targeted in what was considered as a reprisal attack by an armed group led by Aroun Ngue, a former warlord from the ex-Seleka rebels.

The group was retaliating against last Friday's arrest in the zone of Peul fighters who were in possession of weapons, police sources said.

The exchange of fire on Monday afternoon with UN peacekeepers was not favourable to the armed group as it lost a number of its fighters.

Central African Republic Red Cross sources said "eleven bodies" of members of this group were collected after the confrontation, having been thrown near the central mosque in PK5 suburb.

The general hospital in the town received 36 injured people, some of them in critical condition. Among these victims, six succumbed to their injuries.

The sources said only one UN peacekeeper was injured in the confrontation.

Xinhua further learnt that through the intervention of Hamadou Bakirou, a Central African Republic member of parliament, the six police officers were released on Tuesday afternoon.

Ngue's men are part of armed groups that continue to disrupt efforts to restore peace and stability in Bangui and other Central African Republic towns, despite recent election of a new president and members of parliament. Endit