UN and Malian soldiers were the target of an attack on Friday November 24, in the Menaka region of northern Mali.
“This morning, a detachment of the Minusma force repelled an attack during a coordinated operation with the Malian armed forces in the Menaka region”, the UN mission said in a statement.
The provisional report mentions four soldiers killed (3 peacekeepers and 1 Malian soldier), several others wounded, some in critical condition, as well as a wounded Malian soldier. Several attackers were also killed and others wounded during the joint force response, according to the UN mission.
“This operation, which was part of the protection of civilians in the region, was also intended to provide medical assistance to the populations in need”, said the head of the Minusma, Mahamat Saleh Annadif. He condemned the attack and praised the “bravery” of the Malian military and the peacekeepers “whose commitment helped neutralize several terrorists”.
The security situation remains worrying in northern Mali. On October 26, three peacekeepers were killed in the Kidal region by the explosion of an improvised device, which also left two people wounded, one of whom died on 19 November. Since their deployment in July 2013 in Mali, some 150 peacekeepers have been killed, more than half of them following attacks.