In central Mali, an attack by Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists killed at least 15 soldiers. The region has been plagued by violence as Mali has been ravaged by terrorists and armed groups for over a decade, with the centre of the country becoming a hotbed of violence since 2015.
An elected official from the central Mopti region told AFP, requesting anonymity due to security reasons that at least 15 Malian soldiers were killed on Thursday in an ambush by terrorists from ISWAP.
The source added that there were also “missing and wounded soldiers”.
Confirming the attack, another elected official said the toll included “14 members of the national guard and one gendarme.”
“Other soldiers are missing, and army equipment was taken away by the assailants,” the source added.
The attack, which was said to have occurred five kilometres (three miles) from the village of Diallassagou, left over ten soldiers wounded and more than 15 dead.
A Malian military source in the regional capital, Mopti, told AFP: “If you say that we have lost 15 people, you should know that the terrorists have lost more people,” employing a term often used to describe the jihadists.
Mali has been dealing with various factions linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group since 2012, alongside self-proclaimed self-defence forces and criminals.
In northern Mali, the army and the Russian mercenary group Wagner suffered a significant defeat at the end of July, marking one of their largest setbacks in years at the hands of separatist rebels and jihadists.
During three days of intense combat, Tuareg-led separatists claimed that they had eliminated 84 Wagner fighters and 47 Malian soldiers. The military leaders of the West African nation, who took power in coups in 2020 and 2021, have placed a high priority on regaining control of the entire country from the separatists and terrorists.
Under Colonel Assimi Goita, the junta has distanced itself from its traditional alliance with former colonial ruler France and has turned to Russia.