Bamako [Mali], June 3: An al-Qaeda linked group said it carried out a major attack on the Malian town of Boulikessi, and seized control of an army base.
More than 30 soldiers were killed in Sunday's attack, according to sources quoted by the Reuters news agency, however that figure has not been confirmed by the authorities.
On Monday the same group, Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), said it targeted the military in the historic city of Timbuktu, with residents reporting hearing gunfire and explosions. In a statement responding to Sunday's attack, Mali's army said it "reacted vigorously", before "withdrawing" - suggesting a tactical retreat.
The attacks, the latest sign of collapsing security in Mali and the wider Sahel region, came after the United States Africa Command warned about growing efforts by various different Islamist militant groups which operate in the Sahel to gain access to West Africa's coastline.
Source: Qatar Tribune
