Six soldiers killed, 20 injured in Mali ‘terror’ attacks: army

Six soldiers have been killed and 20 injured in simultaneous attacks concentrated on three military bases in central Mali Sunday, the military stated.

Targets in Sevare, Niono and Bapho have been all hit by “armed terrorist companies (who) used suicide cars packed with explosives”, the Malian military stated in a statement.

An organization connected to the firebrand preacher Amadou Koufa claimed the attacks, consistent with audio despatched to AFP Sunday from a supply close to the suspected attackers.

The group, Katiba of Macina, belongs to the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM), an Al-Qaeda-linked alliance and the biggest jihadist network in the Sahel.

“On Sunday morning, the mujahideen of the Katiba of Macina struck three camps of the (Malian armed forces),” a member of the group told AFP in an audio message.

The source said Bapho and Niono were hit, in line with information from Mali’s army.

It also said Segou was attacked, which was not among the targets mentioned by the Malian army.

“We hit these camps at the same time within five minutes of each other. (Apart from the) deaths, we caused material damage to them,” the audio recording said.

Military sources earlier told AFP the attacks occurred at 0500 GMT in Sevare, Niono and Bapho, all in the center of the country.

In Sevare, “there was a double terrorist attack with shots fired and machinery exploded,” one of the sources said.

“The army retaliated. We are not able to provide a toll at the moment,” the source added.

“We have asked MINUSMA (the UN Mission in Mali), as part of our collaboration, to send a rapid intervention force near the Sevare camp to help secure it,” the source continued.

A separate military source within MINUSMA confirmed the information.

One of the poorest international locations in the world, Mali is suffering with a decade-long jihadist insurgency that has claimed heaps of lives and pushed masses of heaps from their homes.

Public anger at elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s failure to roll returned the insurgency provided the spark for a military takeover in August 2020.