The battle of Ber took place on October 27, 2018, after Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) militants attacked a MINUSMA base manned by Burkinabe soldiers in Ber, Mali.
| Battle of Ber (2018) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Mali War | |||||||
_2017.jpg) The MINUSMA camp at Ber in December 2017 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| ~100 | 80 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
2 killed 11 injured | 2+ killed | ||||||
Battle
editAt 5:30 am, several pickups armed with rocket launchers, machine guns, or VBIEDs, attacked the MINUSMA camp in Ber, which was defended by the 1st and 6th companies of the Badenya Battalion.[1][2] One of the suicide-bombing vehicles made it inside the camp, killing two peacekeepers.[3] After reaching the base, JNIM militants attacked on foot, but were repulsed by the MINUSMA contingent.[2] Afterwards, the Burkinabe peacekeepers chased after the militants.[4]
On October 29, JNIM claimed responsibility for the attack, and claimed 80 militants were involved including two suicide bombers.[5][6]
Aftermath
editThe United Nations stated that two peacekeepers were killed and several injured in the battle. The Burkinabe army corroborated this, stating two soldiers were killed and five wounded.[7][1] A December 28, 2018 report from the UN updated the toll, stating two killed and eleven injured.[8][4] The hospital in Ber stated that JNIM had an unknown amount of victims, including children.[2]
Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the head of MINUSMA, deplored the attack.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c AFP (2023-08-26). "Mali: les Casques bleus victimes de deux attaques ce samedi". La Libre.be (in French). Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ^ a b c "Mali: deux casques bleus tués dans une attaque dans le Nord". RFI (in French). 2018-10-28. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ^ United Nations Security Council (December 28, 2018). "Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Mali" (PDF). United Nations Security Council. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- ^ a b "Mali: Two peacekeepers dead after dawn attack, several injured – UN Mission | UN News". news.un.org. 2018-10-27. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ^ "Mali : un groupe djihadiste revendique l'attaque contre les casques bleus à Tombouctou". french.peopledaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ^ "Mali: Nusrat al-Islam claims Ber attack in Timbuktu". al-Akhbar. October 29, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- ^ "Tombouctou : Cérémonie d'hommage aux deux Casques bleus Burkinabé tombés à Ber". kibaru.ml (in French). 2018-11-03. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ^ "United Nations Photo - MINUSMA Head Visits Ber, Inspects Site of October Attack". dam.media.un.org. Retrieved 2023-08-27.