UN Names Landmine Explosion Injuring Two Peacekeepers in Mali Terrorist Act

The UN support mission in Mali, MINUSMA, has named Monday's landmine explosion a terrorist act.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — The UN support mission in Mali, MINUSMA, has named Monday's landmine explosion that injured two UN peacekeepers in the country's northern town of Kidal a terrorist act.

The incident took place in the late afternoon on April 6, when a MINUSMA vehicle hit a mine some 18 miles from Kidal while it was driving toward another northern town, Gao.

The UN mission, referring in its statement to the incident as a terrorist act, strongly condemned the move saying it was intended to paralyze MINUSMA's operations in this part of Mali.

The explosion injured two peacekeepers, one seriously. Both were immediately evacuated by MINUSMA to receive appropriate medical treatment in Gao.

The UN mission also said that it is working, along with the UN Mine Action Service, to identify, mark and clear mined zones in Mali in order to protect civilians.

Mali, a French colony until 1960, has been in turmoil since a 2012 military coup, which triggered an uprising of separatist Tuareg tribes in the country's north. The revolt then attracted Islamist groups with links to al-Qaeda.

The United Nations has a 10,000-strong peacekeeping force in Mali that assists the Malian government in preventing the escalation of the internal conflict.