According to the army, 21 people were killed in a terrorist attack in West African Mali. Of these, 17 were soldiers from the Malian armed forces and four were civilians, the military said. 22 other people were injured. Mali blames the terrorist militia Islamic State in the Sahel (ISGS) for the attack in the north of the country, near the city of Tessit.
The Malian army said it killed at least seven terrorists in the attack on Sunday afternoon. Other killed and injured terrorists were taken away by the attackers.
The attackers were coordinated and acted massively, it said. They were very well equipped militarily, with drones and artillery. The Malian army assumes that it will provide targeted support and comprehensive expertise, which will benefit the Islamic State branch in Mali.
The ISGS is a major offshoot of the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS). He is primarily responsible for attacks in the Sahel states of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. Other armed groups are also active in the Sahel.
Mali, with around 20 million inhabitants, has experienced three military coups since 2012 and is considered to be extremely unstable politically. Since the most recent coup in May 2021, the country has been led by an interim military government tasked with maintaining close ties with Russia. The Bundeswehr is also involved in the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali.
