Four police officers were wounded in a suspected terrorist attack on a minister’s convoy in southern Mali on Friday.
The attack occurred on Thursday afternoon near Niena, in the Sikasso region, and targeted the convoy of Mali’s Minister of Higher Education, Bourema Kansaye.
Security sources and eyewitnesses confirmed the attack, stating that while injuries were reported, the delegation successfully reached its destination.
Wamaps, a network of West African journalists covering security issues in the Sahel, reported that the attack was carried out by members of Katiba Macina, a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
According to Wamaps, the assailants fired a rocket at the convoy, triggering a large explosion, followed by heavy gunfire between the attackers and the gendarmes escorting the minister. The exchange left four gendarmes injured.
Mali has faced a prolonged security crisis for over a decade, with militant groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State carrying out repeated attacks.
Despite claims by the junta that security has improved, terrorist violence continues to destabilise the country.
