Al Qaeda-linked insurgents attacked two villages in central Mali on Wednesday night, killing approximately 50 people—including civilians and members of pro-government self-defense forces—three sources told Reuters on Thursday.
They are the deadliest known attacks since the al Qaeda-linked group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) teamed up with the Tuareg-dominated rebel group Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) for a coordinated assault across the West African country in late April. Sporadic fighting has persisted since, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The assailants hit two localities in Mopti region, said the three sources - an aid worker, a diplomat and a security source.
A resident of Bankass, near the targeted localities, also confirmed attacks had taken place on Wednesday night but could not provide a death toll or the identity of the perpetrators.
"Unidentified armed men burst in, opening fire and ransacking the village," the person said.
It was not clear how many of the people killed were civilians. Local self-defence groups and hunters, often allied with the Mali military, frequently protect villages against militant attacks in that region.
A spokesperson for Mali's army did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the attacks.
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