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Sierra Leone

UN peacekeepers attacked in Sierra Leone

Unknown attackers fired at a United Nations peacekeeping base in Sierra Leone over the weekend, prompting an exchange of fire that lasted for two hours, a UN spokesman said today in New York.
On Saturday night, unknown attackers fired a the Ghanaian Headquarters position at Kenema in eastern Sierra Leone. Peacekeepers fired back at the attackers, but there was no casualties on either side, the spokesman said.

A "quick reaction" platoon was immediately dispatched to the scene. However, the attackers fled in the dark at around midnight and no arrest was made. The UN Mission in Sierra Leone is investigating the incident, which is the first of its kind.

In other news from Sierra Leone, an advance party of 110 Jordanian peacekeepers arrived on Saturday. The complete Jordanian battalion is due to arrive next month and scheduled to deploy soon after, the spokesman said.