2 UN peacekeepers killed in Mali

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) – Two UN peacekeepers were killed and four others injured in an attack carried out by “unidentified armed men” in the West African nation of Mali, said the UN.

In a statement on Friday, the UN mission in Mali, MINUSMA, said: “One assailant was neutralized and equipment recovered. A MINUSMA Quick Reaction Force was immediately dispatched to secure the area.”

El-Ghassim Wane, the head of MINUSMA, was quoted in the statement saying that he was “deeply shocked" by this “heinous act,” which he strongly condemned.

"Despite the prevailing difficult operational environment, MINUSMA will spare no effort to carry out its mandate," added Wane.

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) was established in 2013 by UN Security Council Resolution 2100 “to support political processes in that country and carry out a number of security-related tasks.”