10 civilians killed, 38 injured in Mali bus blast

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) – At least 10 civilians were killed and 38 injured when a passenger bus hit an improvised explosive device in central Mali, the army said on Friday.

The explosion occurred on a major thoroughfare in the Bandiagara region on Thursday afternoon, and the bus was travelling from the capital Bamako, according to a military statement.

The army said the attack was carried out by the Katibat Macina terrorist group.

The dead include a woman and a girl who was about 5 years old, the statement said.

The UN Stabilization Mission in Mali strongly condemned the attack, and reaffirmed it will continue to work with Malian authorities “in support of their efforts to restore the security to which the Malian people deeply aspire.”

As of August, explosive devices had claimed 72 lives and wounded 167 people in Mali this year, according to data tallied by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.