Military bases housing foreign troops in Mali attacked

Officials in Mali said three military bases in the country's northern region were attacked by unidentified militants.

Northern Mali has been one of the epicentres of violence and rebel attacks since 2012, despite the presence of thousands of UN, foreign and French forces [File: Benoit Tessier/Reuters]

The bases are home to 5,100 French personnel spread across the region to restore peace in the militant hit nation.

No deaths or injuries have been reported. The only damage sustained was at the U.N base in Kidal.

“We remain in solidarity with our partners and will spare no effort to carry out our respective mandates and bring peace to Mali,” Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Chadian head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), said.

al-Qaeda's North Africa wing is the prime suspect at this moment, according to officials. Authorities suspect the latest attacks were retaliation against French forces who killed their military leader and former Malian army colonel, Basmoussa Diarra popularly known as Bag ag Moussa, on November 10.

By: Niza Nondo