World News | Six Soldiers Die in Attacks Targeting Mali Military Bases
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. A series of attacks targeted three military bases in Mali on Sunday, killing at least six soldiers and injuring nearly a dozen more, the West African nation's army said.
Bamako, Apr 24 (AP) A series of attacks targeted three military bases in Mali on Sunday, killing at least six soldiers and injuring nearly a dozen more, the West African nation's army said.
In a tweet, the Malian army said simultaneous attacks were underway in Sevare, Niono and Bapho, three central towns in the sprawling desert nation.
While no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State has ravaged the nation for eight years. The military junta that seized power in 2020 has been struggling to stem the violence.
Mali's army has been attacked a number of times this year but this is the first time they are being hit in three different cities.
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A military official not authorised to speak to the media said the attacks involved car bombs and that the camp in Bapho was particularly hard hit, with shrapnel from an explosion damaging a helicopter.
The violence occurred in the centre of the country where the Malian military together with the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary force, has been very active and where the junta has been claiming to have been making significant progress, said Michael Shurkin, a former political analyst at the CIA who works with the Dakar-based 14 North Strategies.
“The attacks appear to belie the government's claims. The attacks appear well-coordinated. This is not the work of an adversary whose back is up against a wall,” he said. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)