At least 20 killed in Mali jihadist attacks

At least 20 civilians have been killed in attacks blamed on jihadist fighters in northern Mali, a regional official there says.

The violence on Saturday was near the city of Gao.

The official told the French news agency that the situation was very worrying with many civilians fleeing as the Islamist militants carried out atrocities.

The UN says the security situation in the Gao and Ménaka regions has deteriorated sharply.

Earlier on Sunday a UN peacekeeper was killed by a mine in Kidal in the north.

Source: BBC