UNITED NATIONS, (Xinhua) — The detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED) in Mali injured four UN peacekeepers from Sri Lanka, a UN spokesman said.
The injuries are not serious, and the peacekeepers from the UN mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, are receiving medical treatment, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The incident occurred on Sunday about 12 kilometers northwest of their camp in Tessalit, in the Kidal region, Dujarric said. When the blast occurred, they were in an armored vehicle providing security for a logistics convoy.
“About 40 minutes after the incident, a search of the surrounding area discovered a second IED, which was successfully detonated,” he said. “Earlier in the day, the mission had detonated another IED discovered some 23 kilometers northwest of the Tessalit camp.”