Militant attack kills dozens in Bamako, Mali

A jihadist attack in the Malian capital on Tuesday reportedly killed dozens of people, sparking new concerns about the junta’s ability to deal with a 12-year insurgency.

An attack claimed by al-Qaeda targeted several places in Bamako, including an elite police training facility. The attack, claimed by the al-Qaeda branch Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), forced the city’s airport to close for the day.

The authorities declared the insurgency had been put down and confirmed on state television that there had been casualties, but did not reveal the number.

A security source informed AFP on Thursday that 77 people had been killed and 255 injured. According to the source, a verified classified official document estimated the death toll at around 100 and identified 81 of the fatalities.

According to the publication Le Soir de Bamako, around 50 military police students’ burials were held on Thursday. A security officer who was inside the training camp during the incident told the Associated Press anonymously that at least 15 individuals had been captured.

A plane administered by the World Food Programme (WFP) was also destroyed at the airport. According to Djaounsede Madjiangar, a WFP spokesperson, the aircraft was used to “transport aid workers and provide emergency humanitarian aid in remote areas of Mali”.

“It’s not the only plane we use in Mali, but this reduces our humanitarian response capacity to give to civilians, given that we have several destination points,” he added.

Source » albawaba.com