India sacrificed most personnel in UN peacekeeping since 1948

India has lost the most number of personnel - 163 - in various peacekeeping operations of the United Nations (UN) in the last 70 years, the international peace-keeping body has said, the PTI reported.

According to the UN, of 3,737 peacekeeping personnel who have died since 1948, 163 belonged to India and they included civilian besides military and police personnel, the report added.

India is the third largest contributor of military and police personnel to the UN peacekeeping, with 6,693 personnel deployed in countries like Sudan, Congo, Haiti, Cyprus, Lebanon, South Sudan and elsewhere, the PTI report added.

The UN, however, owed India $92 million for troops, police units and contingent-owned equipment as on April 30, 2018, it further added.

The UN observes the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on May 29 every year whereby it pays tributes to peacekeepers for their service and sacrifices made around the world.

The year 2018 also marked the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the UN peacekeeping, a mechanism which UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as "a proven investment in global peace, security and prosperity".

"We express our gratitude to the more than one million men and women who have served under the UN flag, saving countless lives. We honour the more than 3,700 Blue Helmets who have paid the ultimate price. And we pay tribute to the 14 peacekeeping missions working around the clock to protect people and advance the cause of peace," the PTI report quoted Guterres as saying in Mali, one of the most disturbed countries in Africa, to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.