Four other members of the UN mission are injured in the attack that took place near the country’s border with Algeria.

A peacekeeper died and four others seriously injured in the volatile north of Mali, near the Algerian border, when an improvised explosive device was detonated, the United Nations said.

“One dead and three seriously injured after one of our teams hit an improvised explosive device near Tessalit,” the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, MINUSMA, said on Saturday.

“This incident is a sad reminder of the permanent danger hanging over our peacekeepers and the sacrifices made for peace in Mali,” said the head of Minusma, El-Ghassim Wane, quoted in a statement.

“Today’s cowardly attack only strengthens MINUSMA’s determination to support Mali and its people in their quest for peace and stability,” he said.

In April, four Chadian MINUSMA peacekeepers were killed in an attack on their camp in Aguelhok, also in northeastern Mali.

The UN mission has deployed more than 13,000 troops to contain violence from armed groups in the north and center of the country.

It has recorded around 255 deaths since 2013, making it one of the deadliest of more than a dozen UN peacekeeping missions.

Armed fighters linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIL) have stepped up their activities in Africa’s Sahel region in recent years, displacing thousands of people.