REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, NEW YORK -- The UN Mission in Mali ( MINUSMA) condemned the attack on its peacekeepers in northern Mali, a UN spokesperson said on Friday.

"Seven Senegalese peacekeepers were wounded and have been evacuated," Deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq told the daily press briefing.

According to MINUSMA, the peacekeepers were on patrol near an airport in the town Kidal earlier in the day, when one of its vehicles struck an explosive device.

The mission said the area of the explosion has been secured and a team of experts from the Mission has started an investigation.

"MINUSMA calls on all actors involved in the peace process to respect the commitment they made last September in Algiers to prevent attacks against peacekeepers," Haq said. "It also calls for those responsible for these acts to be brought to justice."

This attack is the latest in a spate of violence targeting UN peacekeepers. On Sunday, eight "blue helmets" were wounded in the Gao region of northern Mali when their vehicle was struck by an explosive device.

Since a military coup struck Mali in March 2012, its northern region has served as a stronghold of the rebels.

The MINUSMA's core task is to support the political process in the west African country, in close coordination with the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

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