One Sri Lankan Army Captain and a trooper were killed and three others were injured when their convoy came under an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack in Mali today, the Sri Lanka Army said.

An armoured vehicle, WMZ carrying Sri Lankan Peacekeeping troops on patrol in the general area of Douentza in Mali, came under the remote-controlled IED attack around 6.30 am 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 Sri Lanka further confirmed that three more Sri Lankan soldiers have sustained injuries and admitted to the nearby hospital,” the Army said.

In a statement, it said at the time the statement 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,” it said.