28-03-2024 10:22 PM Jerusalem Timing

Gunmen Kill Bangladeshi UN Peacekeeper in Mali

Gunmen Kill Bangladeshi UN Peacekeeper in Mali

Militants opened fire on two Bangladeshi peacekeepers in Mali’s Bamako on Monday, killing one, the second attack within days in the capital of what is considered the most dangerous UN mission in the world.

Mali: UN peacekeepersMilitants opened fire on two Bangladeshi peacekeepers in Mali's Bamako on Monday, killing one, the second attack within days in the capital of what is considered the most dangerous UN mission in the world.

One of the peacekeepers, both ranked as privates, died on the scene and the other was rushed immediately to hospital with bullet wounds after the ambush on their SUV, Bangladesh army spokesman Nur Islam said Tuesday.

"Armed men that we have not yet identified shot at two peacekeepers who were on board a UN vehicle on Monday night. One of them was killed and the other seriously wounded," a Malian security source told AFP.

"We are seeking clarification and details. This has to be viewed as a terrorist act. The perpetrators are the enemies of peace," the source added.

With more than 40 peacekeepers killed since its inception in 2013, the 11,000-strong MINUSMA peacekeeping force in the country is considered the most dangerous UN mission in the world.

It is regularly targeted by militants in the north and while attacks in the capital are rare, Monday's ambush came just five days after a militant opened fire on a UN residence in the city's Faso Kanu neighborhood.

The UN in January named Northern Mali as the deadliest place for its personnel last year, with 28 peacekeepers killed there between June and October.