Two dead as assailants attack UN convoy in Mali

(MENAFN- Arab News) BAMAKO Mali: Two assailants attacked a United Nations convoy of civilian workers in northern Mali killing two and wounding another the peacekeeping mission said Saturday.
After stopping the convoy 'the assailants shot the two drivers before setting the vehicles on fire late Friday night' about 15 kilometers (9 miles) west of the northern city of Gao the mission known as MINUSMA said in a statement. One team member was shot and wounded but managed to escape with others it said.
This attack comes days after an attack on the UN peacekeeping base in the same region as Gao which killed three people and wounded 16.
A group formed by the elusive Algerian militant leader Moktar Belmoktar claimed responsibility for that attack according to the SITE Intelligence group. Al Mourabitoun or The Sentinels is a northern Mali rebel group allied with Al-Qaeda. Mauritanian news website Al-Akhbar said it obtained an audio recording from the group's spokesman.