Mali: Seven soldiers killed, three injured in two terrorist attacks

Two terrorist strikes in western and central Mali resulted in deaths of seven Malian troops and injuries of three ors, according to Malian Armed Forces (FAMa). According to preliminary reports, an army escort was ambushed in village of Mourdiah in western Mali around midday on Saturday, resulting in two deaths and two injuries. However, in Segou, a FAMa patrol's pick-up vehicle was also attacked in region of Niendjela in central Mali on Saturday afternoon, killing five soldiers.

FAMa expressed dissatisfaction with situation, stating that vehicle's five occupants died one by one. It also said that gendarmerie was able to apprehend two suspects in immediate aftermath of incident. FAMa servicemen were killed in two separate attacks earlier this month.

Terrorist attacks in Mali

In an attack on an army position in Acharane in Timbuktu region of norrn Mali on October 17, a Malian soldier and four terrorists were killed. On October 6, an attack on a Malian army convoy on Koro-Bandiagara axis in country's centre killed 16 people and injured nine in FAMa ranks, who retaliated by killing 15 terrorists and seizing 20 motorcycles.

More than a month ago, on September 12, an armed militant group attacked a military patrol in central Mali, killing roughly five troops and three terrorists, according to a statement released by FAMa, as reported by Xinhua news. According to statement, terrorist organisation planned attack for September 12 at 11:45 am, and Army's Operation Maliko patrol unit. In dition, five army vehicles were set ablaze by attackers, according to Al Jazeera. Before that, an ambush on Mali's National Ro, No. 6 in central Mali killed up to 15 Malian troops on August 19.

Mali has been in midst of major security problems since 2012

Mali has been amid major security, political and economic problems since 2012. Despite presence of UN, French and European soldiers, independence insurgencies, jihist invasions, and inter-communal violence have killed thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands. Ethnic massacres and attacks on government forces have become common in central Mali.

(Inputs from ANI)

Image: AP