On 25 June 2021, unidentified militants attacked a U.N. peacekeeper camp in the northern Gao region’s Ichagara village, located approximately 155 km (95 mi) from the regional capital city Gao. At least 15 peacekeepers — including several German soldiers — were injured when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) detonated; there were no reports of fatalities. According to the U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), the Camp Castor facility is being evacuated. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack thus far, Islamist insurgents with ties to both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) are active in the area.