Five UN Chadian peacekeepers killed in northern Mali
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UN peacekeepers stand guard near the airport in Timbuktu, central Mali, February 4, 2016.
Militants have ambushed a convoy of United Nations peacekeepers in northern Mali, leaving five Chadian soldiers dead and injuring three others, UN sources say.
The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) said on Thursday that the troops were killed after they came under a militant attack about 9 miles (15 kilometers) north of Aguelhok in the northern Kidal region on Wednesday.
According to the reports, meanwhile, a statement from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson confirmed that the peacekeepers' convoy hit an improvised explosive device improvised explosive device (IED) and then came under fire from militants operating across the troubled region.
Ban has called it a "heinous attack" and noted it would be considered a war crime under international law.
Figures show at least a dozen peacekeepers have been killed since the start of the year in a series of attacks against the peace keepers in the Kidal region.
According to reports, 29 members of MINUSMA were killed last year and more than 80 were wounded.
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