10 UN peacekeepers killed in 'jihadist' attack in Mali

Ten UN peacekeepers from Chad have been killed in an attack by the suspected Islamist militants in Mali, the UN says.

Another 25 Chadian troops were injured when the gunmen stormed the UN camp in Aguelhok on Sunday, the BBC reported.

The UN said the attack was repelled.

The UN mission in Mali was set up in 2013 to fight Islamist militias operating in the country.

Militants have regularly attacked UN and Malian troops since then.

Al-Qaeda's North-African branch, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, said it carried out the latest attack, the media reported.

Large swathes of northern Mali were seized by jihadists in 2012 until they were pushed back in a French-led military operation the following year.

More than 15,000 personnel -- including civilians -- were later deployed as part of the UN mission, Minusma.

But parts of the country are still out of the government's control.

--IANS

pgh/