The United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Central Mali reports that unknown assailants have wounded at least 20 soldiers after an attack on its base.
The mission base, located near the town of Douentza was attacked on Wednesday evening, the peacekeeping mission known as United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) revealed in a statement, and the identity of the assailants remains unknown.
Going by previous occurrences in the area, the attack has been linked to the Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation who are known to have previously laid siege on peacekeepers and Malian soldiers manning the area.
Security in the Sahel region of Africa has been an issue of concern with militants choosing bases in areas habited by locals.
Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the head of MINUSMA noted that they have been conducting numerous security operations in this part of Mali for several months now.
Four peacekeepers were killed in the area on January 14, with MINUSMA recording at least 230 casualties since 2013 when its operations began, making it the worst affected of all the UN’s missions.
Northern and Central Mali have been pressure points in the country with local soldiers and the peacekeepers working to dislodge militants.
Mali is one of Africa’s hardest-hit by terrorism, which has been bedeviling the continent for more than a decade.
