3 UN peacekeepers die in roadside bomb attack in Mali


BAMAKO: Three United Nations Blue helmet of Chad were killed in northern Mali after a roadside bomb exploded as the men approached on foot and several others were seriously injured, officials said on Monday.
Their death comes just a day before the UN The Security Council is holding a meeting on the mission in Mali, which was the most dangerous of the United Nations, even before the French army withdrew its remaining troops from the country in August.
The UN peacekeeping mission known as MINUSMA confirmed on its Twitter account that two peacekeepers died at the scene. A UN mission official, who requested anonymity as they are not authorized to speak to reporters, confirmed that another seriously injured peacekeeper died later from his wounds.
The explosion took place on Monday 10 kilometers from the town of Tessalit in the Kidal region. Islamic extremists are known to place improvised explosive devices in the area, the official said. When the UN patrol arrived at the site, they had dismounted and started advancing on foot with a mine detector when the device exploded.
“The modus operandi is new because it feels like the device is not just remotely controlled, but whoever activated it has eye contact with the peacekeepers,” he said. “Was this eye contact made by a civilian drone? We don’t know at this time.”
The attack has not been claimed but bears the mark of armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda.
A French-led military operation ousted Islamic extremists from power in towns in northern Mali in 2013. But the jihadists regrouped in the surrounding desert and launched dozens of attacks on the Malian army and UN blue helmets in the years that followed.
Security problems across the country have only worsened since the French army withdrew its troops from Mali. France’s decision to move its forces to neighboring Niger came after the sharp deterioration in relations with Malian junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita, who seized power in a coup in August 2020. .



malek

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

GreenLeaf Tw2sl