UN Peacekeepers Killed in Mali Ambush Attack

Five members of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali were killed and another injured in an ambush attack Sunday, the United Nations said.

The attack occurred in central Mali as the soldiers from Togo, part of the U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), were travelling in a convoy around 30 kilometers west of Sevare.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack through a spokesman, calling terrorism one of the most serious threats to internal peace and security in the country.

“The Secretary-General presents his heartfelt condolences to the families of the five peacekeepers who have died in the cause of peace and to the government and people of Togo,” a U.N. statement said.

A similar ambush Friday killed five Malian soldiers and wounded four more when their vehicle hit a mine in the north and they were then shot at by unknown assailants.

After Sunday’s attack, the number of U.N. peacekeepers killed while on active service in Mali rose to at least 64, making it the most dangerous active deployment for the U.N. in the world.