A mortar attack on a United Nations base in Kidal, Mali, early on Saturday, left at least three people dead. Associated Press reported that two UN peacekeepers from Guinea, and one contractor from Burkina Faso was killed. Another 20 people were injured, of which four are in critical condition. The attack comes eight days after extremists attacked a hotel in Mali’s capital, killing 20 people.

AFP said that Malian Islamist rebel group Ansar Dine had claimed responsibility for the attack. Mongi Hamdi, the head of the UN mission, said the attack would not impede the UN’s determination to support Mali and its peace process. He added that the UN's Security Council called on the Malian government to investigate the attack and quickly prosecute the perpetrators. Northern Mali has been unstable since it fell to Tuareg separatists and then Islamic extremists following a military coup in 2012.