Four UN Troops Die in Mali Attack

FILE - UN peacekeepers stand guard in the northern town of Kouroume, Mali. Reuters
FILE - UN peacekeepers stand guard in the northern town of Kouroume, Mali. Reuters
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Four UN Troops Die in Mali Attack

FILE - UN peacekeepers stand guard in the northern town of Kouroume, Mali. Reuters
FILE - UN peacekeepers stand guard in the northern town of Kouroume, Mali. Reuters

Four United Nations peacekeepers were killed Friday when suspected militants staged a major attack on their camp in Aguelhok, northern Mali, the UN mission said.

The peacekeepers "bravely pushed back a complex attack carried out by several heavily armed terrorists," MINUSMA said, adding the attackers had suffered heavy losses and had abandoned "several of their dead".

In a statement, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he "condemns in the strongest terms" the assault, commending the bravery of those who repelled the attack.

The incident left 19 wounded, the statement said, in addition to the four troops who were killed.

A source in MINUSMA said the attack occurred around 200 kilometers from the Algerian border, targeting a contingent of peacekeepers from Chad.

A UN source described the dawn raid as of "very large magnitude" by about 100 attackers on motorbikes and in vehicles.

"The fighting lasted three hours... mortar shells, shooting exchanges... attempted suicide car bombing," AFP quoted the source as saying.

He added that about 20 assailants had been killed.

A Chadian military source said "two of our forces' positions were attacked. We lost four people, including our forces' detachment commander, and 16 were injured."

The UN force's statement called the attack another "attempt against the peace process" that will "in no way undermine its determination to continue the execution of its mandate".

It thanked "international forces for their aerial support".

The attack took to 10 the number of MINUSMA troops killed this year.

Also on Friday morning, two Malian soldiers were killed and around 10 wounded in an attack blamed on militants in Diafarabe in the country's center, Mali's army said in a statement.

Local resident Youssouf Aya told AFP that he had seen a line of armed men on motorcycles headed toward a military post, then heard gunfire.

He said the assailants had "briefly occupied" the military post before leaving along the Niger River.



B-2 Bombers Moving to Guam amid Middle East Tensions, US Officials Say

A US Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber (C) is flanked by four US Marine Corps F-35 fighters during a flyover of military aircraft down the Hudson River and New York Harbor past York City, and New Jersey, US, July 4, 2020. (Reuters)
A US Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber (C) is flanked by four US Marine Corps F-35 fighters during a flyover of military aircraft down the Hudson River and New York Harbor past York City, and New Jersey, US, July 4, 2020. (Reuters)
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B-2 Bombers Moving to Guam amid Middle East Tensions, US Officials Say

A US Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber (C) is flanked by four US Marine Corps F-35 fighters during a flyover of military aircraft down the Hudson River and New York Harbor past York City, and New Jersey, US, July 4, 2020. (Reuters)
A US Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber (C) is flanked by four US Marine Corps F-35 fighters during a flyover of military aircraft down the Hudson River and New York Harbor past York City, and New Jersey, US, July 4, 2020. (Reuters)

The United States is moving B-2 bombers to the Pacific island of Guam, two US officials told Reuters on Saturday, as President Donald Trump weighs whether the United States should take part in Israel's strikes against Iran.

It was unclear whether the bomber deployment is tied to Middle East tensions.

The B-2 can be equipped to carry America's 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, designed to destroy targets deep underground. That is the weapon that experts say could be used to strike Iran's nuclear program, including Fordow.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, declined to disclose any further details. One official said no forward orders had been given yet to move the bombers beyond Guam. They did not say how many B-2 bombers are being moved.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.