In the midst of rebel combat in Congo, eight UN peacekeepers were killed in a helicopter accident.

The UN peacekeeping force reported that eight UN peacekeepers perished in a helicopter accident in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Tuesday, amid rebel fighting in the area.

The chopper was on a reconnaissance mission when it went down over the province of North Kivu, where Congolese soldiers and the M23 rebel group have clashed this week.

According to the UN peacekeeping mission, six of the crew members were from Pakistan, and two were military personnel from Russia and Serbia. There were no people who survived.

The dead were found and delivered to Goma, the capital of North Kivu, by a search and rescue effort.

Pakistan's UN Ambassador Munir Akram revealed the identities of the six Pakistanis slain in a condolence statement on Tuesday.
"They made the ultimate sacrifice while serving as part of the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. My heart breaks for the martyrs' families "According to Akram.

Congo's armed forces (FARDC) accused M23 of shooting down the chopper in a press release. FARDC previously accused Rwanda of assisting the rebels, which the Rwandan army refuted in a statement released on Monday.

The cause of the crash has not been determined by the UN mission, although an inquiry is underway.