UN peacekeepers killed in Mali

In northwestern Mali on Jan. 20, a UN base was attacked by members of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), an Islamist militant group, resulting in 10 peacekeepers being killed and at least 25 being wounded. The peacekeepers all were Chadian.

Islamists allied with Tuareg militias seized most of northwestern Mali in 2012 before being beaten back by French and Malian troops. However, there still is very little government presence in northwestern Mali, which makes it difficult to combat militant groups.