Three Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers killed in Mali

Three Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed during an attack on a UN convoy in Mali, according to the international organisation.

The peacekeepers were a part of the UN Multidimensional lntegrated Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), in the Gao region of the west African nation.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Sunday's attack in which five persons were also injured, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

This was the second fatal attack on peacekeepers by insurgents in the region this month. Two peacekeepers from Chad were killed on September 5.

MINUSMA is the most dangerous UN mission and over 75 peacekeepers have been killed in attacks by various insurgent groups so far.

Last month a peacekeeper from Chad and in June three from Guinea were killed.

MINUSMA was set up in 2013 by the Security Council to help stabilise the country after insurrections by Al Qaeda-linked groups in the northern and central parts since 2012.

A total of 1,819 Bangladeshis serve in the MINUSMA and of them 1,510 are troops.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)

--IANS

al/ksk/bg