Armed Attack Kills 40 People In Mali

PIXABAY ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - An unidentified gunman killed about 40 people in an attack on a village in Mali that was hit by an uprising.

The attack took place on Monday, July 1, in Djiguibombo village in the Mopti region, one of several areas in northern and central Mali where jihadist groups linked to al Qaeda and ISIS have been active for more than a decade.

"It was a very serious attack, gunmen surrounded the village and opened fire on people," said Bankass Mayor Mouaye Guindo.

He could not say the death toll, but two local officials, speaking without his name, said about 40 people were killed.

"It was a massacre, they surrounded the village where the wedding was held. There was panic, some people managed to escape, but many were killed, most of them were men," said one officer.

They did not identify the attackers and no group has yet claimed responsibility.

A military spokesman could not be reached for comment.

Violence has escalated in West Africa's central Sahel region since the insurgency took root in Mali and spread to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, killing thousands of people and making millions more displaced.

The insecurity has sparked two coups in Mali, one in Burkina Faso, and another in Niger since 2020.