Around 20 people, including 18 UN peacekeepers have reportedly been wounded in a rocket attack on a military base in northern Mali, according to a statement by UN mission spokesman Olivier Salgado.
The rocket attack reportedly targeted a military base housing UN, French, and Malian forces. The base is located in the town of Tessalit in the Kidal region, Salgado revealed to Reuters.
Six peacekeepers were "seriously" wounded, according to the UN spokesman. The source of the rocket, as well as the number of casualties, has not been confirmed by Mali's authorities yet.
Last January, 10 UN peacekeepers were killed by a terrorist attack targeting the MINUSMA camp in Aguelhok, also in the Kidal region.
The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) was established in 2013 following serious protests against the Malian government. The Kidal region has been under the control of Tuareg rebels since 2012, who are seeking the independence of northern Mali.
MINUSMA has over 13,000 troops in Mali to contain violence caused by various armed groups, including jihadists linked to the terrorist groups Daesh* and al-Qaeda*.
*Daesh and al-Qaeda are terrorist groups banned in Russia and a number of other countries
