Seven UN soldiers killed in Ivory Coast

The United Nations has confirmed that seven peacekeepers have been killed in an ambush in the Ivory Coast, the first attack of its kind in the country.

The attack took place near the border with Liberia, UN officials said.

"This attack cost the lives of seven UNOCI peacekeeping soldiers from Niger," the peacekeeping mission said in a statement. "These soldiers were on patrol in the region of Tai, in a zone where UNOCI recently increased its presence due to a threat of civilian operations being attacked."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said he was "saddened and outraged" by the deaths.

UN peacekeepers were deployed to Ivory Coast in 2004 to help end the country's civil war and have stayed through the country's recent political crisis.

"These brave soldiers died in the service of peace," Ban said.

He offered his "deepest condolences" to the government of Niger and urged the Ivorian government to "identify the perpretators and hold them accountable".

The mission, called UNOCI, was started in 2003 in the midst of the country's years-long civil war. It saw extensive action following the presidential election in 2010, after the incumbent president, Laurent Gbagbo, proclaimed himself the winner.

It took months for forces loyal to the opposition candidate, Alassane Ouattara, to dislodge Gbagbo; UN troops fired on Gbagbo's troops and took control of the airport in the capital Abidjan during that time.

The western part of Ivory Coast remains deeply unstable, and has been plagued by deadly attacks since the post-election crisis abated. In a report published Wednesday, Human Rights Watch said at least 40 people have been killed since July 2011 in raids the group blamed on fighters loyal to Gbagbo.

Gbagbo was captured on April 11, 2011 and has been in custody in The Hague since November on allegations of crimes against humanity.

UNOCI has about 11,000 troops, military observers and police in Ivory Coast. Up to Friday, 60 troops, 15 police, one military observer and 14 international and local civilian staff have been killed.