IED attack in Mali kills two SL peacekeepers

Colombo (News1st):  An armoured vehicle, WMZ carrying Sri Lankan Peacekeeping troops on patrol in the general area of Douentza in West Africa’s trouble-torn Mali, came under a remote-controlled Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack around 6.30 a.m. early this morning (Jan 25) in local Mali time.

The attack on the WMZ and the convoy which was returning after a mission killed one Sri Lankan Army Captain and another Sri Lankan Army trooper who were on board the WMZ. Reports reaching here further confirm that three more Sri Lankan soldiers have sustained injuries and admitted to the nearby hospital.

Captain H.W.D Jayawickrama of the 11th Sri Lanka Light Infantry from Polonnaruwa and Corporal S.S Wijekumara of 1st Mechanized Infantry Regiment from Thalakolawewa, Polpithigama of the Sri Lankan Army Contingent in Mali died in the attack. Corporal M.G.S Kumarasinghe of 1 Sri Lanka Engineers from Panwilathenna, Lance Corporal K.C Pushpakumara of 1 Sri Lanka Engineers from Kannathota and Lance Corporal C.H.M.S Chandrasekara of 12 Sri Lanka Engineers from Kekunawa, Maho who sustained injuries in the same IED attack were airlifted for treatment to the Level 2 Hospital at Gao, the commercial city on the banks of river Niger.

At the time this report was compiled, clearing operations were still on. The attack caused damages to the ill-fated WMZ vehicle and another that followed behind. UN Peacekeeping Mission Headquarters in Mali is conducting investigations into the incident.