French army describes ‘underhanded’ extremist attack in Mali

PARIS – The French army says a deadly extremist attack on a U.N. military camp in northern Mali was “particularly sophisticated and underhanded.”

Officials have said the attack on a camp for the U.N. mission known as MINUSMA in Timbuktu on Saturday left one peacekeeper dead and a number of wounded.

The French army said in a statement Sunday that seven soldiers from the French military operation known as Barkhane were among the injured and that 15 attackers were killed in a counterattack.

The statement said some of the jihadists wore peacekeepers’ uniforms and explosive belts and used vehicles covered up with U.N. and Malian army codes. Three car bombs were exploded, it said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, though a number of extremist groups are active in the region.