Attack on army camp in Mali leaves 29 dead

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - At least 29 people including two soldiers were killed Thursday in a suspected terrorist attack on an army camp in northeastern Mali, the military said.

“Mali military camp at Tarkint village in Gao city area was the target of a terrorist attack on Thursday morning. The death toll from the attack was 29 people and five injured,” the military said on its Twitter page.

It added that two Malian soldiers were among the dead.

In February, three Malian soldiers were killed and five injured in a terrorist attack on an army camp in Bambara Maoude, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Timbuktu city.

In March, militants with rocket launchers attacked a checkpoint in central Mali, killing six soldiers and injuring 10.

Last November, some 50 Malian soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack on a military post in northeast Mali.

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