U.N. peacekeepers deployed to northeastern Mali amid spate of killings

FILE PHOTO: A patch is seen on a member of Canadian Forces before departing for a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali, at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Trenton, Ontario, Canada, July 5, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie/File Photo

BAMAKO (Reuters) - The United Nations peacekeeping force in Mali has deployed two units to the African country's tri-border area with Burkina Faso and Niger to respond to a spate of civilian killings, it said on Thursday.

A surge in attacks since early March by an Islamic State affiliate has left hundreds of civilians dead, according to official and military sources. The region has long been a hotspot of jihadist and militia violence in West Africa.