Eyewitnesses have revealed details of the explosion in Mali at the perimeter of a base used by Chinese military engineers. 

“There was a car that came from that way in the bush. It went that way and stopped, and switched off lights. Then there was a third one that came and went straight that way. After a while the car exploded,” said Amadou Maiga, a local resident. 

“All that we know currently is that a vehicle entered, it struck the security wall and a very powerful explosion followed. We can’t say more than that for now, the investigation is underway,” said a French soldier.