Two United Nations peacekeepers from Egypt were killed and five others seriously wounded when their vehicle hit a landmine planted by suspected jihadis in northern Mali on Tuesday, the U.N. said.
The deadly attack comes just days after the renewal of the mandate of the U.N. Mission to Mali, known as MINUSMA.
“This morning, an armored vehicle of a MINUSMA logistics convoy hit a mine on the Tessalit-Gao road,” the mission announced in a press release.
“According to an initial report, two peacekeepers died of their injuries and five others were seriously wounded as a result of the attack,” the statement added.
“The victims are all Egyptian nationals,” a U.N. official told The Associated Press, insisting on anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to the press until the U.N. informs the families.
Ten U.N. peacekeepers have been killed in Mali since the beginning of the year.
First deployed
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