International Shia News Agency

10 killed in fresh N. Mali attack

SHAFAQNA - At least ten people were killed on Sunday in a fresh militant attack in northern Mali, two days after an attack on a hotel left 12 people dead, according to a Malian military spokesman.

The spokesman, who insisted on anonymity, said the attack had occurred in the northern village of Gaberi.

The village is located close to northern Mali’s Gourma-Rharous area some 160 kilometers east of Timbuktu.

Notably, earlier this month, 11 Malian troops were killed by unidentified gunmen in an attack on a military camp located in the same area.

Sunday’s attack comes two days after 12 people were killed in northern Mali after militants attacked a hotel — known for frequently hosting U.N. personnel — in the town of Sevare, located some 600 kilometers north of capital Bamako.

According to local sources, casualties included five Malian soldiers, three hotel employees, three of the attackers and a U.N. contractor.

In 2012, violence erupted in northern Mali following a failed coup attempt and a Tuareg rebellion that allowed al-Qaeda-linked militants to take over the northern half of the country.

In early 2013, former colonial power France sent troops to the North African country and — with the help of Chadian and other African forces — flushed the militants from Mali’s main northern cities.

Nevertheless, recent months have continued to see sporadic attacks on U.N. peacekeepers and Malian army personnel.

 

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