US condemns Mali car bomb attack

The United States strongly condemns the cowardly attack on a military camp in Gao that houses government forces and members of the primary armed groups.

Washington, Jan 19: The United States has condemned the car bombing that killed 50 people in the northern Mali city of Gao. The attack in the region's biggest city targeted a camp housing former rebels and pro-government militia who were signatories to a 2015 peace accord struck with the government.

"The United States strongly condemns the cowardly attack on a military camp in Gao that houses government forces and members of the primary armed groups that signed the Malian peace accord," State Department Spokesman Peter Kirby said.

"We are aware of reports that the attack was engineered by a suicide bomber using a truck filled with explosives," his statement said. "We offer our condolences to the victims and their families. We also denounce in the strongest terms all efforts to derail implementation of the peace agreement in Mali."

The United Nations has deployed 13,000 peacekeeping troops to Mali, but they have repeatedly been targeted in attacks.

PTI