Attack in Mali Kills Eight UN Peacekeepers

An attack in northern Mali Sunday has killed eight United Nations peacekeepers and left several other wounded, Reuters reported. The identity of the killers is not yet known. Both UN peacekeepers and French forces are posted in the region to fight jihadist organizations that threaten security in West Africa’s Sahel Region, which reaches from Senegal toward Sudan. The confrontation, which was near the village of Aguelhok, came after a siege “by assailants in many armed vehicles,” Reuters said, citing UN peacekeeping officials. While peacekeepers did successfully block this attack in what officials described as a “a robust, swift and concerted response,” they nevertheless endured  these fatalities, an official also reportedly said.