Mali: Two UN troops killed, 4 injured in blast

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Two employees of the UN peacekeeping mission in central Mali died and four others were injured when their convoy was hit by a bomb on Monday.

"This morning, a Minusma logistics convoy traveling to Timbuktu was hit by an improvised explosive device north of Mopti. Preliminary estimates suggest that the explosion killed two blue helmets and injured four others," a UN communiqué read.

Mission chief El-Ghassim Wane strongly condemned the attack on peacekeepers, which he said was a war crime under international laws. He urged Malian authorities to bring those responsible to justice and spare no effort in stabilizing the country.

Two days ago, more than 25 Malian army troops were slain and over 30 others were injured in an insurgent attack in the country's central region, according to media reports.

According to the Malian army, the ambush killed 27 troops, injured 33, and left seven missing. The military was able to eliminate 47 insurgents.

On February 18, Mali's transitional government asked France to withdraw its forces from the Sahel state "without delay", calling into question Paris' plans to pull out over several months. 

A government spokesperson added in a statement announced on public television that the results of France's nine-year "military engagement" in Mali were "not satisfactory". 

French President Emmanuel Macron had announced that he was withdrawing troops from Mali after a breakdown in relations with the nation's ruling military junta.