Remains of two Chinese UN peacekeepers arrive in China

The remains of two Chinese UN peacekeepers killed in the recent fighting in South Sudan have arrived in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan province on July 20, 2016. [Photo/VCG]

The remains of two United Nations peacekeepers from China who were killed in an attack in South Sudan were flown from Uganda on Wednesday afternoon to Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province.

A military plane carrying the bodies of Li Lei and Yang Shupeng touched down at Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport.

Two injured peacekeepers and 25 evacuated Chinese citizens came back from South Sudan on the same flight.

On July 10, amid fighting between government and anti-government forces in Juba, South Sudan, a mortar shell hit the armored vehicle carrying the peacekeepers, killing Li and Yang and injuring five others, according to Xinhua.

Li, 22, who came from Sichuan, joined the People's Liberation Army in 2011.

He wrote in his diary that he did not regret becoming a UN peacekeeper and that he was prepared for the worst in the mission.

Yang, 33, was from Shandong province.

His wife Zou Lina, told CCTV that Yang would never tell her about the dangers he faced. After Yang's death, his son Yang Yiming, 6, said, "I want to be a soldier when I grow up".