afrol News, 22 May - A petrol tanker crashed into a Nigerian military convoy in the early hours of Thursday morning, killing 46 returning peacekeeping soldiers and one officer from the troubled Sudanese region of Darfur.

Confirming the story in a statement, military officials said resulted after the peacekeepers of the army's 245th Battalion were travelling by road to their home base on Wednesday night. The soldiers had earlier flown from Darfur to the international airport in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

The peacekeepers died in the flames after the two troop-transport vehicles were hit by a petroleum tanker on the road in northern Nigeria. The incident also left five other soldiers nursing severe injuries.

Nigerian officials are planning a military burial for the fallen soldiers in Abuja on Friday.

As the largest supplier of peacekeepers in Africa, Nigeria usually has two batallions of soldiers serving in Darfur. Its peacekeepers have been hailed for their untiring efforts to bring peace and stability in many war-torn countries in Africa, including Sierra Leone, Liberia and Sudan.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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