Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

France probes death of two Indians in Central African Republic

March 26, 2013 19:48 IST

France is conducting a high-level inquiry into the killing of two Indian nationals by its troops in the Central African Republic, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told his Indian counterpart A K Antony on Tuesday.

Drian also told Antony that the Indian government would be informed about the outcome of the inquiry, defence ministry officials said.

"French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian telephoned Defence Minister A K Antony this afternoon to convey his regret over the incident at Bangui airport in CAR, in which two Indian nationals were killed and six others injured during firing by French troops guarding the airport," they said.

The French defence minister also conveyed his condolences to the families of the Indian nationals killed in the incident.

"He assured Antony that the French side was conducting a high-level inquiry into the incident and said the Indian government would be informed about its outcome," they added.

Two Indian nationals were killed and six injured by the French troops when they opened fire on vehicles approaching the airport in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic.

Nearly 300 French soldiers were dispatched to the CAR over the weekend to reinforce troops already present in Bangui seized by rebels on Sunday.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had on Monday received a letter from France's President Francois Hollande, expressing regret over the tragic incident.

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.