Attack on UN base in northern Mali sees one soldier and two children killed

The attack comes two days after five people, including one Frenchman and a Belgian were shot dead in the country's capital

UN peacekeepers in the Malian capital Bamako (Getty Images)

Three people, including one UN peacekeeper and two children, have been killed following a terrorist attack on a UN base in northern Mali on Sunday.

Many more were injured when 30 shells and rockets were fired at the UN mission in Mali (MINUSMA) base situated just outside the desert town of Kidal.

The statement said: “One MINUSMA soldier died and eight others were injured. The shelling also claimed victims among the citizens of Kidal outside the compound, killing two and injuring four. MINUSMA strongly condemns these heinous terrorist acts, whose only goal is to thwart all the efforts currently under way to achieve lasting peace in Mali.”

The latest attack comes just two days after an attack on a nightclub in the Malian capital saw a Frenchman, a Belgian and three Malians shot dead.

Tuareg are a separatist group who aim to overthrow the government and create an independent state in the northern region of Mali known as the Azawad.

The Tuareg is believed to have made allegiances with jihadist groups to help achieve their goal of creating an Azawad nation.