According to the Egyptian army, all necessary measures are being taken in coordination with the United Nations.

“The Egyptian Armed Forces affirm that their role in maintaining international peace and security comes from its full belief in the importance of peace, coexistence and the elimination of terrorism,” the Armed Forces statement said.  

On Monday, the UN Security Council issued a statement condemning the attack against the Egyptian peacekeeping mission in Mali.

The Security Council called on the transitional government of Mali to “swiftly investigate the attack against peacekeepers and bring the perpetrators to justice,” adding that the attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.

The Malian state has struggled to regain control of territory from a jihadist insurgency that began in the country's north in 2012 and has since spread to neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso.

The fighting has claimed thousands of lives and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.