Indian Army has been contributing personnel to UN peacekeeping missions since 1950

Nearly 5,404 Indian peacekeepers are deployed in eight UN Missions at the moment, the Minister of State for Defence said in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

The largest number of Indians - 2410 - been deployed as part of the UNMISS in South Sudan, followed by 1910 under MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and 867 as part of the UNIFIL in Lebanon, MoS Defence Ajay Bhat said in a written reply to questions by two Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha.

The other deployments are in:

UNDOF (Golan Heights) - 199
UNISFA (Abyei) -07
MINURSO (Western Sahara) - 03
UNTSO (Middle East) - 02
UNFICYP (Cyprus) - 01

Five Indian personnel are also deployed at the UNDPO in New York, USA.

The Indian Army (IA) has been contributing personnel to other countries to help in peacekeeping under the UN peacekeeping missions since 1950, MoS Bhat noted.

As many as 159 Indian Army (IA) personnel have made supreme sacrifice in the line of duty while serving with UN Missions till date.

Indian Army (IA) personnel deployed in UN Missions are paid their salary by the Indian Government and Over Seas Allowances (OSA) by UN. There are no delays in the payment to the personnel of Indian Army (IA) deployed in UN Missions, Bhat said in his reply.