Three Senegalese MINUSMA peacekeepers were killed and five others were seriously wounded earlier today after a roadside IED targeted their patrol vehicle near Songobia, Mali.
The attack occurred in the Mopti region, which is a hotbed for violent extremism from the al-Qaeda affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), the country’s largest jihadist group.
JNIM often carries out guerilla-style raids and bombings targeting local security forces and civilians. One of the group’s main goals is to push out foreign forces from the country, such as UN peacekeepers and previously French troops before their withdrawal last fall with the end of Operation Barkhane.
