Seven soldiers and one civilian killed in Mali bomb attack
Tehran (KNA) - Seven soldiers and one civilian driver have been killed after two Malian military vehicles were hit by improvised explosive devices while on an escort mission.
The Malian Defense Ministry denounced it as a "cowardly terrorist attack" in a statement on Thursday as it offered condolences to the families of the deceased.
The fatal ambush happened as the French military parachuted 120 soldiers in the north-eastern region of Menaka near the Niger border, French military spokesman Colonel Patrik Steiger said.
France's bolstered military presence in Menaka comes after Malian security sources claimed that unknown gunmen had executed more than 12 civilians in the region on Tuesday.
Source: PressTV