Central Mali is reeling from a surge in jihadist violence, with death tolls reaching over 70 following a series of coordinated attacks on local villages.
A fresh wave of attacks by jihadist fighters in central Mali killed dozens of people, local and security sources said Saturday.. Friday’s attacks were claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), who had already killed at least 30 people in attacks on villages on Wednesday.. One local official said the latest attacks by the armed groups had brought the toll to more than 70 in recent days.. Another local
official put the death toll at 80.. “Our hearts are bleeding,” one local youth leader said, accusing nearby army detachments of doing nothing to help, despite multiple calls.. One security source described the situation in the region as “worrying”.. “JNIM is targeting villages that refused to sign local agreements,” the source added.. The latest attacks come after JNIM and the Tuareg-dominated Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) carried out an unprecedented assault against the ruling junta in
Mali last month.. Since then, Mali’s security situation has become critical, with several areas in the north now controlled by armed groups.
Mali, JNIM, jihadist attacks, Sahel security, Mali conflict, central Mali, militant groups