Bamako: An al-Qaeda affiliate earlier claimed responsibility for ‘coordinated and high-quality attacks’ in Mali. In the early hours of Tuesday, armed terrorist groups launched coordinated strikes on Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) positions in the western region, including the towns of Kayes, Nioro, Sandare, Gogui, and Diboli, said FAMaTV, the military’s television channel, citing the Armed Forces’ Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIRPA).
According to Ethiopian News Agency, Mali’s army, in an official statement, claimed that more than 80 terrorists were killed in attacks targeting several localities in the central and western part of the country. “The enemies of peace first attacked civilians and several positions of the defense and security forces. We were confronted with simultaneous and coordinated attacks backed by sponsors whose presence was confirmed during today’s operations,” said Souleymane Dembele, head of DIRPA.
Dembele also stated that the enemy suffered heavy losses wherever it attempted to strike the FDS. The provisional toll indicates that more than 80 terrorists were killed, and a significant cache of weapons, ammunition, motorcycles, and vehicles was recovered.
The attacks occurred just days after the killing of several local militant leaders and the surrender of around 10 fighters from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara in the northern part of the country.