Sri Lanka also decided to repatriate the battalion's second in command and two company commanders, U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas said.

She said the peacekeeping mission "received allegations of incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse by members" of the Sri Lankan battalion stationed in a number of locations in Haiti.

The U.N. Mission in Haiti requested an immediate investigation by the U.N. internal watchdog, the Office of Internal Oversight Services, known as OIOS, she said.

"Following receipt of the preliminary OIOS report, and with the cooperation of the Sri Lankan authorities, all accused Sri Lankan Battalion members will be repatriated on disciplinary grounds on Saturday, Nov. 3," Montas said.

The revelations mark another blow for U.N. peacekeeping, which has faced similar allegations elsewhere.

In 2004, peacekeepers in Congo were accused of the sexual exploitation of girls as young as 13, further embarrassing the world body at a time when some key member states were stepping up criticism of the U.N. and pressing for greater reforms. Abuses have also been reported in U.N. peacekeeping missions ranging from Liberia and Ivory Coast to Bosnia, Kosovo, Cambodia and East Timor.

The United Nations has a zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and a strict code of conduct that has been agreed to by all countries that contribute troops or police to U.N. peaceekping operations. More than 100,000 personnel are currently serving in 18 peacekeeping missions around the world, and new missions in Sudan and Chad will be starting shortly.

The code of conduct prevents U.N. personnel from soliciting prostitutes, even if prostitution is legal in a country, and it sets the age of consual sex at 18. Peacekeepers in Congo, where sexual abuse has been especially serious, are also bound by a non-fraternization policy.

Montas said the U.N. and the Sri Lankan government "deeply regret any sexual exploitation and abuse that has occurred, despite their efforts to ensure the highest standards of conduct and discipline."

She said 108 soldiers in the 950-strong Sri Lankan battalion will be repatriated, all for apparently engaging prostitutes. "There is a question of some underage girls," she said.

"The United Nations has been in close consultation with the Sri Lankan authorities at high levels, and will continue to provide all possible assistance to the government of Sri Lanka as it undertakes appropriate disciplinary measures to address this serious issue at the national level," Montas said.

She said Sri Lanka dispatched a high-level national investigative team from Colombo, including a female investigative officer.

"So far, Sri Lanka has said they are going to be prosecuted in Sri Lanka, and U.N. headquarters will follow up," Montas said.

The U.N. mission in Haiti and Sri Lankan officials are also discussing "ways and means to bring assistance to the victims," she said.

The Sri Lankan battalion is stationed from the western edge of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince to towns along the country's southern penninsula. The U.N. force — now made up of more than 7,000 soldiers, officers and police — was sent to Haiti amid chaos following the 2004 ouster of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

In the past, one of the major problems in cases of sexual exploitation by U.N. peacekeepers has been that soldiers are sent home to be dealt with by their national authorities, but many are never punished.

U.N. officials expressed satisfaction that Sri Lanka sent its own investigators, decided to repatriate several officers, and said they plan to prosecute the soldiers. The U.N. will now be watching to see what happens when the soldiers get home, the officials said.

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