The Malian military said on Sunday, that six of its soldiers have been killed in twin attacks that occurred overnight while some 30 suspected extremists were also left dead in response.
The attacks ocurred near the country’s border with Burkina Faso at army positions that have been targeted in the previously been targeted, with a deadly extremist offensive having begun in northern Mali in 2012 before spreading to other regions.
In a statement, the army said “the provisional toll is six dead and 18 wounded” among the soldiers. The army added that the attacks prompted a response which left “around 30 dead on the terrorist side”.
The twin attacks occurred at Boulkessy and Mondoro, two areas that have witnessed heavy violence in Mali.
The army said the “complex and simultaneous” attacks occurred at about 3:30 am (0330 GMT), with a local official in Mondoro estimating that the fighting lasted for about an hour.
According to the army, a large amount of military gear, as well as some 40 motorcycles were seized from the attackers.
According to a medical source, a number of wounded soldiers were evacuated by helicopter.
In September 2019, some 50 soldiers killed when the same army positions were targeted in one of the deadliest attacks to hit Mali since 2012.
The Support Group for Islam and Muslims, the main terrorist alliance in the Sahel region affiliated with Al-Qaeda, later claimed responsibility for that attack.
Three other Malian soldiers were killed on Thursday, in a bomb blast that occurred in the Mondoro area.
In its fight against the extremists and terrorists, Mali has received support from France’s Barkhane force, which numbers 5,100 troops spread across the arid Sahel region.
The French force has been fighting terrorist groups alongside soldiers from Chad, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Niger.
In addition, the UN has also deployed its 13,000-strong Minusma peacekeeping force to Mali. The force which was first established in 2013, has since suffered 146 hostile deaths in the region.