25 Dead and 60 Wounded in Terror Attack on Malian Military Bases

The Malian government has reported that at least 25 have been killed and a further 60 are missing in attacks on two military posts on Tuesday.

The two camps, in Boulkessy and Mondoro, are located to the south of the country, near to the border with Burkina Faso.  15 militants and 2 civilians are also said to have been amongst the casualties.  

Fighting broke out around dawn at both sites in what appeared to be coordinated attacks.  A military source has reported that Malian special forces were active in the Boulkessy area, whilst local officials confirmed sightings of military helicopters.

The government has blamed the Islamic extremists Ansarul Islam, a group with links to Al-Qaeda, amid escalating violence in the area.

Mali’s Central Region has long been plagued by religious tensions.  Ansarul Islam, meaning Defenders of Islam, was established in 2016 by the radical preacher Ibrahim Malam Dicko, launching attacks on both state and civilian targets along the Malian-Burkinabé border.

Since 2016, Mali, along with Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger, has been part of the G5 Sahel multilateral agreement aimed at combating extremism in West Africa.  The French have also deployed 3,000 troops in support.