1 Chadian peacekeeper killed, 4 wounded when vehicle hit land mine in northern Mali

BAMAKO, Mali – A spokesman for the U.N. mission in Mali says one peacekeeper is dead and four others have been wounded near the volatile northern town of Kidal.

Olivier Salgado told The Associated Press on Sunday that a U.N. vehicle struck a land mine earlier in the days near Aguel'hoc, killing a Chadian soldier.

The area has been the scene of earlier mine explosions, including one that killed four U.N. peacekeepers earlier this month.

There was no immediately claim of responsibility for Sunday's explosion but previous mines have been blamed on Islamic extremists linked to al-Qaida.

Northern Mali fell under control of Tuareg separatists and then al-Qaida-linked Islamic extremists following a military coup in 2012. A French-led intervention last year scattered the extremists, but some remain active.