Road Bomb Blast Kills 7 Soldiers, Civilian Driver In Central Mali - Defense Ministry

A bomb blast hit a passing motorcade of Malian armed forces in the country's center, killing seven soldiers and a civilian, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th September, 2018) A bomb blast hit a passing motorcade of Malian armed forces in the country's center, killing seven soldiers and a civilian, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

Two military vehicles were damaged by several explosive devices on Wednesday afternoon on a road between the town of Douentza and the village of Bambara Maoude, the ministry said in a communique.

"Seven soldiers and a civilian driver lost their lives as a result of this cowardly attack. In these tragic circumstances, the ministry offers its condolences to the families of the deceased," it said.

The attack took place on the border between the restive provinces of Mopti and Tombouctou where the French-backed Malian army has been mired in a five-year struggle against Islamist militants.

This happened as Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita took the podium at the UN General Assembly to thank the organization for its support in the battle against insurgents in the center and the north of the country.