A senior UN official has told the BBC that hundreds of thousands of Malian nationals who fled in the wake of Islamic terrorists taking over the northern part of the nation have refused to return out of fear the terrorists will regain control of the region.

The refugees cited a pattern of rape and amputations against women and children by the Islamists as the leading fears preventing their return.

John Ging of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that the Mali government needs to prove they can protect the refugees from terrorist reprisals before many will return from neighboring countries.

The report comes amid news that terrorists bombed a checkpoint in the northern town of Kidal, killing seven people and injuring dozens. The bombing targeted a checkpoint manned by native Malians that have aligned with the French intervention in the country.

The French are working with troops from Chad to drive the terrorists out of a stronghold in the northern mountains of the country.