Al Qaeda-linked militants kill more than 100 Malian soldiers in attack this month
By Portia Crowe Reuters | Posted by TOE Jihadists killed more than 100 soldiers in central Mali this month, two sources said, while the army said it had evacuated troops from the camp under attack and struck enemy positions during a retaliatory operation lasting more than a week. The September 10 attack in the town of Dioura and another on the airport in the town of Sevare were the latest by al Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) against Mali’s military rulers who seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021. In April, JNIM joined forces with the Tuareg-led separatist group the FLA to carry out nationwide attacks that killed Mali’s defence minister and hit the main airport, highlighting lack of progress by pro-government fighters against the insurgents. A security source said 130 soldiers died in the September 10 attack in Dioura with more than 100 taken hostage. A diplomatic source said around 120 soldiers were killed. ...