Mali: Jihadists strike two towns in Mali killing at least 4 people
Jihadists in Mali have attacked two towns in the last 24 hours, leaving at least four dead in the restive African country. Suspected al-Qaeda militants struck the United Nation’s base in Kidal in the north with a complex assault. Two suicide car combs and a rocket barrage left at least one Chadian peacekeeper dead.
The second attack occurred yesterday in the central Malian town of Teninkou and left two Malian soldiers and one civilian dead, according to Reuters. The assault began when around 20 gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on Malian soldiers manning a checkpoint near the entrance of the city. The firefight lasted for about three hours before the jihadists withdrew. While most reports state that three people were killed, other sources have claimed that casualties were much higher.
No group has yet to take responsibility for the attack but al Qaeda-linked forces are suspected to be the perpetrators. On Jan. 8, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), al-Qaeda’s official branch in North Africa, assaulted a military base in Teninkou. No one was injured in the attack, but it was said to have been a probing operation to test the response of the Malian military.