Attack on army camp leaves 23 dead in northern Mali

By Felix Tih

ANKARA (AA) - At least 23 people were killed and several others injured in an attack on a military base in northern Mali, local media reported on Monday.

The unidentified gunmen took away military equipment and burned the camp, according to Malian News Agency.

The incident took place in the town of Bamba, Gao Region at around 05.15 a.m. local time (0515 GMT), the Malian Armed Forces said in a Twitter post.

It said the human and material loss will be revealed later, adding reinforcements have been dispatched to the site.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Since 2012, militants have carried out violent attacks in northern and central Mali, killing thousands of soldiers and civilians.

Mali’s government said Sunday that militants killed 37 people last month in violent attacks on communities in the Bandiagara and Bankass areas of the central Mopti region.

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said in February that his government was seeking talks with militant groups in an effort to end an insurgency that has engulfed the country.

Last year, at least 456 civilians were killed and hundreds more wounded in central Mali alone, according to Human Rights Watch.