The body of the Chinese peacekeeper killed in the attack at a UN camp in Mali has been carried onto plane in the capital city of Bamako on early Thursday morning, local time.

A memorial service was held in the airport for the 29-year-old victim, First Sergeant Shen Liangliang. The plane carrying his body is scheduled to take off at around 6:00 local time and head for China.

Three injured Chinese peacekeepers also arrived on another military aircraft, along with a Chinese military investigation team. China started contributing peacekeepers to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali in 2013. About 400 Chinese peacekeepers are currently based in Gao to carry out security, engineering, and medical work.