A bomb blast near the West African country of Mali has killed at least three members of a UN peacekeeping force. Six others were injured. The United Nations has confirmed the matter in a statement.
The incident took place on Wednesday, about 20 kilometers north of the town of Bambara-Maude in central Timbuktu.
A bomb planted in front of the convoy exploded in a convoy of peacekeepers. At the same time, unidentified assailants opened fire on the peacekeepers.
However, it is not clear who carried out the attack. However, militant groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) are active in the region.
The dead peacekeepers came from Ivory Coast, the country's defense ministry said in a statement.
More than 13,000 troops are serving in the UN mission in Mali. They are working to suppress the violence of various armed groups in the northern and central parts of the country. About 230 members of the mission have died so far.
