UN defends killing of militiamen in Congo

UN officials defended peacekeepers who killed up to 60 militiamen in a gunbattle in Congo, saying the international troops were acting in self-defence and protecting civilians who had been terrorised for years.

The high death count and fierce fighting defied the notion that UN peacekeepers stick to defence rather than joining the fight. But the Congo mission was given a stronger mandate last year to round up guns and defend the populace.