Rebel group claims attack on UN Mali base

BAMAKO, Mali

The Ansar-ud Din insurgent group based in northern Mali has claimed responsibility for an attack on a UN camp on Saturday, according to the country’s military.

The Malian military source, who requested anonymity, made the claim to Anadolu Agency.

Ansar-ud Din assailants attacked the UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) facility, killing four people, including two Guinean peacekeepers and two civilians, as well as injuring at least 20 other people.

Ag Hamadou Khallini, a senior Ansar-ud Din figure, spoke to several local radio stations taking responsibility for the attack.

“We claim the attack against the Kidal camp," Khallini said during an interview on Revival FM.

The Malian government and a Tuareg insurgent group -- considered Mali’s largest rebel organization -- signed a peace agreement in June. However, Ansar-ud Din declined to attend the negotiations which led to the deal.

In 2012, violence erupted in northern Mali following a failed coup attempt and a Tuareg rebellion that allowed al-Qaeda-linked militants to take over the northern half of the country.

In early 2013, former colonial power France sent troops to the North African country and -- with the help of Chadian and other African forces -- flushed the militants from Mali's main northern cities.

Nevertheless, recent months have seen sporadic militant attacks on UN peacekeepers and Malian army personnel.