UN Peacekeeper in Mali Kills Two Colleagues

A UN peacekeeper with a mission in Mali is suspected in murder of two his colleagues, according to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A UN peacekeeper with a mission in Mali has fired at three of his colleagues, killing two of them, the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA) said on Sunday.

"Yesterday [on Saturday], near 7 p.m, a tragic incident occurred in the MINUSMA camp in Tesalit, in the Kidal region, when a blue helmet fired on three of his colleagues. The resulting two deaths are deplorable. Another was lightly injured," the mission said in a statement.

According to the statement, the suspect was arrested, and the security at the peacekeepers' camp was reinforced. An investigation into the case has been launched to determine the reasons behind the incident, the mission said.

Mali has been in turmoil since a 2012 military coup, after which separatist tribes seized control over vast territories in northern Mali, and later, various Islamist groups started to operate in the country.

MINUSMA has been stationed in Mali together with French troops since 2013 to counter the Islamist militants.