In Mali, at least 37 people were killed in the northern city of Gao after a car bomb attack on a military base today. Officials said the incident occurred when a vehicle packed with explosives detonated at a camp housing soldiers and members of rival armed groups in the city. <br/><br/>Mali's northern desert region has been restive since it was captured by militant Islamists in late 2012. Despite French military intervention in 2013, the region remains tense with sporadic attacks and kidnappings. A source at the UN Mission in Mali said the incident as a suicide attack. <br/><br/>The victims were involved in conducting patrols in this highly volatile area under a deal backed by the UN in a bid to stop the violence there. Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has declared three days of national mourning following the latest attack.