PARIS, March 30 — The French defence ministry denied the findings today of a UN investigation into an air strike in central Mali in January, which concluded that French aircraft had killed 19 civilians. 

In a statement, the ministry said it "maintains with consistency and reaffirms strongly” that "on January 3, French armed forces carried out an air strike targeting an armed terrorist group identified as such” near the village of Bounti.

The statement added that the ministry had "numerous reservations about the methodology used” to carry out the UN probe.

As a result, Paris "cannot consider that this report provides any evidence whatsoever that contradicts the facts as described by the French armed forces,” it said.

Some residents of Bounti told journalists at the time that French warplanes had struck a wedding party near the remote village, and not a meeting of jihadists as claimed by France.

The United Nations mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, subsequently launched an investigation into the affair. 

In a report summarising the investigation’s findings, the UN today said a wedding had in fact taken place and had "gathered about 100 civilians at the site of the strike”.  

It added that about five armed people, who are thought to be members of the jihadist group Katiba Serma, attended the celebrations.  — AFP