Two attacks attributed to jihadists took place Monday in Mali in Tessit, in the east, and in Boni, in the center of the country. Sixteen Malian soldiers were killed, according to a new report published Tuesday evening by the army which specifies in its press release to have “neutralized” 37 “terrorists”.
In Tessit, a few dozen kilometers from the borders with Burkina Faso and Niger in the so-called three-border zone, it is an army post that suffered an attack claimed by Daesh. The terrorist group assured in a press release published by its agency, Amaq, that it had killed and injured dozens of soldiers, took full control of the camp before setting it on fire and leaving with seven vehicles and a quantity of ammunition. In Boni, a patrol was ambushed, according to the army.
The junta claims to manage the situation, an unverifiable info
The junta in power since the military coup of August 2020 claims to have rectified the situation against the jihadists, described as being “in disarray” in the press release overnight. However, this is the second time in a few weeks that the human toll has been heavy for the Malian army.
Twenty-seven soldiers were killed on March 4 in the attack on their camp in Mondoro (center), according to the Malian army. It was the deadliest operation reported against Malian forces in several months. The army had claimed the elimination of 70 enemies.
Mali has been caught in security and political turmoil since 2012. The jihadist spread, starting in the north, spread to the center and to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. Seeking to impose their hold and attacking the representations of the central state or the foreign presence, armed groups affiliated with Daesh or Al-Qaeda have caused hundreds of deaths in the ranks of the Malian army for ten years.