Nine UN peacekeepers killed in Mali
 

Nine United Nations peacekeepers from Niger have been killed in an ambush in eastern Mali, according to the UN Mission in the country, MINUSMA.

MINUSMA said they were targeted while travelling near Menaka, in the Gao region.
The Mission added that necessary means were immediately deployed to secure the area and assist surviving peacekeepers.

This is the deadliest attack on a UN convoy since the Mission started its operation in Mali in July 2013.

The UN is supporting the country's recovery from a crisis which started with a military coup d'état in early 2012.

SOURCE: Stephanie Coutrix, United Nations.