Suspected Jihadists Kill Six Mali Soldiers In Twin Attacks

Bamako, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Jan, 2021 ) :Twin attacks on the army in central Mali overnight killed six soldiers while some 30 suspected jihadists were also left dead in response, the military said Sunday.

The attacks occurred near the border with Burkina Faso at army positions that have been targeted in the past, with a deadly Islamist offensive having begun in northern Mali in 2012 before spreading elsewhere.

"The provisional toll is six dead and 18 wounded" among the soldiers, the army said in a statement, adding that the attacks prompted a response which left "around 30 dead on the terrorist side".

The raids occurred at Boulkessy and Mondoro in the violence-wracked centre of the Sahel country.

The "complex and simultaneous" attacks occurred at around 3:30 am (0330 GMT), the army said, with a local official in Mondoro estimating that the fighting continued for around an hour.

Some 40 motorcycles and a large amount of military gear were seized from the attackers, according to the army.

A number of wounded soldiers were evacuated by helicopter, a medical source said.