Six soldiers killed in militant attacks in central Mali
Mali’s military says militants have conducted attacks in the country’s central region of Mopti, leaving at least six soldiers killed.
The army said 18 soldiers were also wounded in the "complex and simultaneous" attacks which occurred in the villages of Boulkessi and Mondoro at around 3:30 am (0330 GMT) on Sunday.
According to the statement, an ensuing gunfight between the gunmen and the army troops left “around 30 dead on the terrorist side”.
The army said around 40 motorcycles and a large amount of military gear were also seized from the assailants.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Mali has become increasingly engulfed in violence since a Tuareg uprising in 2012 was hijacked by extremist militants, prompting France to intervene to push them back.
The French mission began operating in Mali in 2013 to allegedly counter militants that Paris claims are linked to the al-Qaeda and Daesh terrorist groups.
Some observers have, however, cited suspicions about the actual goal sought by Paris inside the former colony, which boasts rich mineral reserves.
The military presence has, meanwhile, given rise to some anti-French sentiment. Last January, hundreds of people took to the streets in the capital Bamako to protest the foreign presence.
Violence, however, has steadily worsened in the region with militants using northern Mali to launch attacks on neighboring countries.
Last week, Human Rights Watch urged France to fully and impartially investigate reported loss of 19 civilian lives after its airstrikes targeted a wedding ceremony in east-central Mali in early January.
Burkina Faso expels three French diplomats over ‘subversive activities’
Israeli forces continue recruiting South Africans for war in Gaza: Activists
Descendants of Caribbean slaves break silence around France’s shameful past
Iranians rally nationwide in support of Operation True Promise
Raeisi: Operation True Promise ‘a necessary response’ to Israel
OIC slams US for blocking Palestine’s bid for full UN membership
US police arrest 108 pro-Palestine protesters at Columbia University
Top commander names four 'historic achievements' of Operation True Promise
VIDEO | Iranian attack and crisis of entity
UN chief: Israel’s war turned Gaza into 'humanitarian hellscape'
Meta's WhatsApp challenged for complicity in Israel’s Gaza genocide
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
