Three killed in attack on United Nations base in Mali

“The attack happened at around 4 a.m. (0400 GMT)”.

Another UN source said 14 others were injured in the attack, including three seriously. In August, four soldiers and five United Nations workers were killed in another attack by Islamist militants.

A number of people have been wounded in the incident.

In the spring of 2012, jihadists with links to the al-Qaeda terror network invaded northern Mali, taking advantage of a local rebellion by armed Tuareg separatists against the central government in Bamako in southern Mali.

About a week ago, gunmen stormed a hotel in Bamako, the country’s capital, killing 19. They were driven out by a French-led military operation, but violence has continued.

Three Islamist groups claimed responsibility for the attack on the Radisson: Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI); splinter group al Mourabitoun; and Massina Liberation Front (MLF). Security analysts say they could be collaborating. Boko Haram, the leading such group in the region, has this year extended its attacks from Nigeria to neighbouring states of Niger, Cameroon and Chad.