Suspected Terrorists Kill 25 in Central Mali

Suspected terrorists have killed at least 25 people in attacks on five villages in central Mali.

Local and administrative sources disclosed this to AFP on Friday.

A lot of people were also wounded, villages torched, and cattle stolen in Thursday’s attacks in the Bandiagara region, forcing the local population to flee, the sources added.

Mali has experienced a critical security crisis since Tuareg rebels and Al-Qaeda-linked fighters launched coordinated attacks against strategic junta positions on April 25 and 26.

“We are already mourning 25 dead, and there are many injured, including women and children. Since this morning, entire families have been on the roads, fleeing with nothing,” a local official told AFP, who requested anonymity.

Suspected Terrorists Kill 25 in Central Mali (NewsCentral TV) — Suspected Terrorists killed 25 people in central Mali. Credit: RFI.

Regarding the attack, a regional youth council member said most of the 25 killed had been civilians, along with a small number of traditional hunters known as Dozos.

“We have several relatives we cannot find, and we are sure the attackers will return. They have said so,” the source added.

It’s pertinent to know that more than 70 people were killed in similar attacks in the same region two weeks ago. Since 2012, Mali has faced a deepening security crisis driven by violence linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as separatists and local criminal gangs.

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