Militants Kill 24 Soldiers in Mali

The Malian army has said that 24 of its troops were killed and a further 29 were wounded in joint operations with Niger in the Gao region, close to the eastern border with its neighbour on Monday.

The army said it killed 17 terrorists and detained 100, which are currently being held in Tiloa, Niger.

The news comes just weeks following an attack that resulted in the deaths of 54 Malian soldiers, the deadliest in the past decade.

Details of the attack have yet to emerge, but the army shared photos of the aftermath on its Twitter page, showing burnt out motorcycles.

“On the enemy side, there are 17 terrorists killed, a hundred suspects apprehended by the Nigerian forces in Tiloa, and 70 motorcycles destroyed” the Twitter statement read.

They did not, however, make clear who the militants were, or what ethnic group they were part of.

Ethnic tensions have led to a spike in attacks from groups aligned with both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

According to the United Nations, more than 1,500 civilians have been killed in Mali and Burkina Faso since January, despite the stationing of 15,000 UN troops in the country.