French Soldiers Injured During Attack in Mali

The French military has said that several of its soldiers stationed in Mali have been injured following an attack near a French military base in Timbuktu.

In a statement released by the military, they said that a French camp suffered a mortar attack, where at least one soldier was critically injured.

There are about 1600 French troops stationed in Mali as part of the United Nations’ peacekeeping effort. The troops are working as part of Operation Barkhane; an ongoing operation led by the French military to combat Islamic extremists in Africa’s Sahel region.

Islamic extremists affiliated with the Islamic State, seized control of the northern parts of Mali in 2012. However, since the French military intervention, most of the extremists have been driven out of the region.

While the French intervention has helped Mali to regain control of the area, attacks on French camps and UN peacekeeping camps still occur.

No terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack as of yet.