Red Cross worker killed in gun attack

A Red Cross worker has been shot and killed in Mali, BBC reports.

Reports say armed men who are suspected Islamist militants opened fired on an aid vehicle as it travelled from Gao to Niamey in neighbouring Niger to pick up medical supplies.

A spokesman for the group reportedly told AFP that "We have achieved what we wanted with this attack."

Another person was also injured in the attack, which Islamist militant group Mujao has claimed to have carried out.

In a statement, The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was "profoundly dismayed" by the killing.

Yasmine Praz Dessimoz, the head of operations for North and West Africa said the deceased had been driving to collect much-needed medical equipment for a Gao hospital.

He also described the death of the Red Cross worker, whose name has not been released, as not only a tragedy for his family and for the ICRC, but also one that will affect the life and well-being of tens of thousands of people.

He further said:

"The ICRC is concerned about the rise in violence against humanitarian workers, which is preventing them from coming to the aid of individuals and communities in dire need"

Mujao, which stands for Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa, which claimed responsibility for the attack was formed in 2011 to spread jihad across West Africa and is believed to be a well-disciplined group.