Ten United Nations peacekeepers were killed in an attack on a UN camp in Mali on Sunday, according to a statement from the UN secretary-general.

Another 25 were injured in the attack, said Secretary-General António Guterres, who added that he condemned the attack against the camp for the UN's Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, in the village of Aguelhok in the Kidal region.

"MINUSMA forces responded robustly and a number of assailants were killed," according to the statement, which did not say who carried out the attack.

According to Guterres, the peacekeepers were from Chad, and he conveyed "his heartfelt condolences to the government of Chad and the families and loved ones of the deceased."

Guterres called on the Malian authorities to "spare no effort in identifying" the attackers so they could be brought to justice as soon as possible.

The UN Security Council echoed that call in its own statement, which also highlighted the fact that targeting UN peacekeepers could constitute a war crime.

Mali can be a deadly posting for UN peacekeepers. In August 2017, five MINUSMA security guards, one member of the Mali National Police and one civilian contractor working for MINUSMA were killed during an attack on MINUSMA headquarters in Timbuktu.

In November 2017, four peacekeepers and a Malian soldier were killed in attacks. Twenty-one others were injured, including a civilian contractor working for MINUSMA.

cnn.com
BDST: 1230 HRS, JAN 21, 2019
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