The Sri Lanka army on Monday announced that it had launched an investigation into allegations that one of its soldiers in the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti raped a Haitian woman.

The army has assured the UN a full and impartial inquiry into the allegations and three senior officers of the Army, part of a Court of Inquiry will leave for Haiti to conduct inquiries, the Sri Lankan army media unit said.

The UN had reportedly started an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by a member of the Sri Lankan contingent to the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Haiti, based on a complaint said to have been made by a Haitian woman.

The UN Commander for the Sri Lankan contingent in Haiti has been directed to cooperate with UN investigators, if any request to this effect is made.

Apart from the investigation on the alleged rape incident, the army investigations team would also ascertain whether there had been any lapse on the part of any Haiti-based field commander which would have led to the alleged incident.

"Any such Field Commander, found to be negligent in supervising his troops is also to be seriously dealt with, taking very severe disciplinary action," the army said.

In 2007 a group of 114 Sri Lankan soldiers were deported from Haiti for sexual abuse and rape.