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Militant attack kills 29 Malian soldiers: Army

Thursday, 19 March 2020 9:08 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 19 March 2020 9:08 PM ]

Malian army soldiers patrol the area next to the river of Djenne in central Mali on February 28, 2020. (AFP photo)

An attack by militants on a base in Mali’s northeastern part has left 29 soldiers dead, the Malian army says.

The attack took place on Thursday in the town of Tarkint, which is about 125 km (78 miles) north of the city of Gao.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack in the country whose army has repeatedly suffered heavy casualties from militants active in the area with links to al-Qaeda and Daesh.

Earlier in the day, the army said that only two soldiers had been killed, but later on Twitter raised the number to 29, adding the incident also left five wounded.

Mali has suffered violence since 2012, when militants and allied Tuareg rebels took over the country’s north.

The French military then intervened militarily. Sweden also sent troops to Mali back in 2013, as part of the United Nations (UN)’s Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission.