Gunman in volatile northern Mali village opens fire, killing 3 at aid distribution spot

BAMAKO, Mali – An official in northern Mali says three people are dead after a man opened fire on a crowd.

Abda Ag Kazina, the deputy mayor of Kidal, said Monday another person was seriously injured in the weekend attack in a village near Menaka.

Ag Kazina said the man began shooting at a spot where humanitarian workers hand out food aid and cried out "Allah Akbar."

The deputy mayor said it was not clear whether he was a member of the radical jihadist group that ruled the area for nearly 10 months before the French-led military operation.

Alghabass Ag Intalla, the head of the Islamic Movement of the Azawad, denied that the man was a member of any local jihadist groups, describing him instead as a criminal.