Mali: two peacekeepers injured in mine explosion

The UN mission in Mali said on social networks that two peacekeepers were wounded Tuesday by a mine explosion in central Mali.

"Our office in Mopti confirms an explosion near the village of Amba, 75 km west of Douentza, injuring two peacekeepers who were part of a logistical convoy en route to that region," it tweeted.

UNMISSA did not specify the nationality of the soldiers.

On Friday, another peacekeeper was seriously injured when his vehicle hit a mine near the town of Douentza. The targeted vehicle was part of a logistics convoy coming from Timbuktu.

Mines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are of the weapons of choice for jihadists who have been operating in the country since 2012.

Since the beginning of 2023, Minusma has been the target of nine attacks, killing three Senegalese peacekeepers and injuring five.

Along with Malian forces, Minusma is one of the main targets of jihadists who aim at the foreign presence and symbols of the state.

Minusma, with about 12,000 troops deployed in Mali, is the UN mission with the most casualties in the world in recent years. Since its creation in 2013, 185 of its members have died in hostile acts.