Three Ivorian peacekeepers from the UN’s mission in Mali were killed on Wednesday during an attack by an armed group about 95km (59 miles) south of Timbuktu.
Six other peacekeepers were wounded.
The attack happened around 12:30GMT while the troops were on a reconnaissance mission.
Their armoured vehicles hit an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Gunmen then opened fire on the peacekeepers, according a statement.
Helicopters and medical aircraft were immediately deployed to evacuate the wounded to medical facilities.
