Over 70 killed in al-Qaeda linked attack in Mali’s capital

More than 70 people are believed to have died in an attack by an al-Qaeda-linked group in Mali’s capital, Bamako, earlier this week, according to diplomatic and security sources.

Hardline fighters from the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen (JNIM) carried out the attack on an elite police training academy and the nearby airport on Tuesday, prompting shock and anger in the West African country.

A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that 77 people had been killed and 255 injured in the attack, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.

An authenticated confidential official document put the toll at about 100, identifying 81 victims.

Two diplomats serving in the region, including one based in Bamako, told the Reuters news agency the death toll was believed to be in the 70s.

A third diplomat based in the region said hundreds were believed dead and injured, and hospitals had run out of beds to treat the victims.

The country is fighting an armed uprising that began more than a decade ago in its arid north. It has also spread to neighbouring countries in the Sahel region leaving thousands dead and forcing millions from their homes.

The attack undermines claims from the military, which seized power in a coup in 2021, to have stabilised the situation after the departure of French troops and turning to Russia for security.

Mali’s military rulers have acknowledged some losses.

News.Az