30 Malian Servicemen Killed in Terrorist Attack in Country’s Northeast

The attack took place on early Thursday, with the media initially reporting two fatalities.

“The FAM positions were attacked in Gao. The number of victims is growing. The attack left 30 FAM servicemen dead and five more injured”, the army said in a statement on its Facebook page.

In January, 20 soldiers were killed in an attack on Malian security forces in the Sokolo military camp, located in the centre of the country, the government said as quoted by local media.

The situation in Mali was destabilized in 2012 when Tuareg militants seized vast territories in the northern part of the country. The conflict further escalated as a result of the activities of Islamists, forces loyal to former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as well as French interference.

Although tensions have significantly de-escalated since then, sporadic clashes have taken place.