UN Security Council slams deadly attack in Mali

The UN Security Council Monday condemned "in the strongest terms" a deadly attack in central Mali which killed a peacekeeper and two civilians.

"The members of the Security Council called on the Government of Mali to swiftly investigate these attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice," it said in a press statement.

The attack, which occurred Sunday near Douentza in the Mopti region of central Mali, claimed the life of two Malian civilians and one peacekeeper from Togo. Seven peacekeepers from the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) were injured.

The council called on all UN member states to combat the threats by terrorism through all means, under the UN Charter and other international law, vowing to continue their support to the peacekeeping mission in Mali.

The MINUSMA, which was deployed in 2013 to support the political process and carry out security-related stabilization tasks, has become a frequent target of terrorist attacks in Mali.

The Malian government has been seeking to restore stability after a series of setbacks since early 2012, including a military coup, renewed fighting between government forces and Tuareg rebels, and the seizure of its northern territory by radical extremists. Enditem