LAHORE, Sept 12: Another batch of 285 Pakistan troops left here on Sunday as part of a relief-rotation plan to perform peace-keeping duties under the aegis of United Nations Mission in Congo.

Brig Iftikhar Ayub Khan bade them farewell at the Allama Iqbal International Airport, prior to their departure on a UN chartered aircraft here on Sunday morning. The present batch comprises major component of infantry.

Democratic Republic of Congo, a strife-torn African country with a population of six million people, has suffered from almost four decades of intense factional fighting encouraged by its eastern neighbours.

According to an ISPR news release issued here, the UN peace-keeping force was approved for Congo as a result of UN Security Council resolution 1291 of Feb 24, 2000.

The Pakistani troops have been inducted in the mission to fulfil the assigned task of maintaining peace and order in the country ravaged by dissidents belonging to different feuding tribes. This is the second time the Pakistani troops are serving under the UN mission in Congo, previously it was in 1961. -APP