Estonian Soldiers Mistakenly Open Fire at UK Allies in Mali - Reports

HELSINKI (Sputnik) - Estonian soldiers serving at the Gao military base in Mali mistakenly opened fire on British soldiers who did not follow security protocols when approaching the base, no one was injured, Estonian media reported on Saturday.

The incident occurred when a minibus with British soldiers approached the military base, Postimees newspaper said. Estonian soldiers guarding the base opened fire on the vehicle because the UK allies did not inform the base personnel of their approach in advance as stipulated by the rules, the newspaper noted.

The Estonian defense forces spokesman Taavi Karotamm confirmed to Postimees that the incident took place and stressed that the Estonian soldiers strictly followed all the rules and security procedures. He added that no one was injured in the shooting.

Estonian forces have been part of Operation Barkhane, an anti-insurgent operation led by France in the Sahara-Sahel region, since 2018. Their duties include patrolling the area near the Gao settlement and providing security at the French military base alongside 1,500 soldiers from different countries.