UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least 21 UN personnel -- 12 peacekeeping personnel and nine civilians -- were killed in deliberate attacks in 2025, the United Nations said Thursday.

This does not include the personnel of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East who died in the war in Gaza, since they were not deliberately targeted, said the UN Staff Union Standing Committee on the Security and Independence of the International Civil Service.

By nationality, six UN personnel killed were from Bangladesh, five from Sudan, two from South Africa, one each from South Sudan, Uruguay, Tunisia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Palestine, Kenya and Zambia, according to the committee.

The UN Interim Security Force for Abyei was again the deadliest mission for peacekeepers, with six fatalities, followed by the UN peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the Central African Republic, with three deaths each.

At least five UN personnel were killed in deliberate attacks in 2024, and at least 11 in 2023, said the committee. ■