UNITED NATIONS (AP) – A UN convoy in the Kidal region of northern Mali was attacked by improvised explosive devices, killing an Egyptian peacekeeper and seriously injuring four others, it said on Saturday the United Nations.

The attack on the convoy of the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali took place near Tessalit, said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on the Malian authorities “to spare no effort to identify the perpetrators of these attacks so that they can be brought to justice quickly”, reiterating that the attacks on peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law, Dujarric said.

António Guterres reaffirmed the support of the UN to the government and people of Mali and expressed his deep condolences to the family of the Egyptian soldier who was killed as well as to the government and people of Egypt, and wished a speedy recovery to the injured .

Mali has been trying to contain an extremist Islamic insurgency since 2012. Extremist rebels were ousted from power in towns in northern Mali with the help of a French-led military operation in 2013. However, the insurgents quickly regrouped in the desert and began to launch frequent attacks against the Malian army and its allies fighting the insurgency.

The extremists have extended their reach into central Mali, where their presence has fueled tensions between ethnic groups in the region.

The UN peacekeeping mission has been present in Mali since 2013, after Islamic extremists took control of major northern towns. It is the deadliest for the Blue Helmets.

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