UN: seven peacekeepers killed in Ivory Coast ambush United Nations soldiers from Niger in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Seven peacekeepers have been killed in an ambush in a remote village. Photograph: Rebecca Blackwell/AP Seven UN peacekeepers have been killed in an ambush in a remote area of south-west Ivory Coast while trying to protect civilians, the United Nations says. Bert Koenders, the UN envoy to the west African nation, said the peacekeepers were part of a patrol south of Tai in an area which the UN mission recently reinforced because of threats of attacks against the civilian population. He condemned the attack "in the strongest terms" and said the seven peacekeepers who died were from Niger. Kieran Dwyer, the spokesman for the UUN peacekeeping department, said "we are moving in reinforcements as soon as we have daylight." A UN official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the peacekeeping patrol was attacked by a large number of people. The official estimated that perhaps 40 peacekeepers had been in the area and were dug in overnight to protect the village against a new attack. Koenders said in the statement that the mission "will take all necessary measures following this grave violation of international law." The United Nations has had a peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast since 2004. At the end of April, the UN said there were about 9,400 peacekeeping troops, 200 military observers and 1,350 international police in the mission along with civilian staff. Over 40 countries are contributing military personnel.