Background
Having had problems with transportation, the Irish UN troops were forced to deploy to Jadotville (present day Likasi) without their full complement of support weaponry. However, their commanding officer, Commandant Pat Quinlan, had the foresight to order digging of defensive positions before the attacks thus saving them from being quickly overrun.
On September 13, 1961, Dag Hammarskjöld's United Nations forces launched the offensive against the State of Katanga in order to end its secession and restore it as a province of DR Congo. Soon after, the Katangans attacked the base of UN forces at Jadotville. The contingent of Irish UN troops was sent to protect the Belgian colonists and local population in Jadotville, where they were attacked by those they were originally sent to protect.
Read more about this topic: Siege Of Jadotville
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