Mali Attacks: Al-Qaeda-Affiliated Fighters Kill at Least 30 People

The Deadliest Assault in Central Mali

Dozens of people have been killed in attacks reportedly carried out by al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters in central Mali, the deadliest assault since armed groups launched a widespread coordinated assault late last month.

Attack Details and Casualties

According to local, security and administrative sources speaking to the AFP news agency on Thursday, attacks on the villages of Korikori and Gomossogou in the Mopti region killed at least 30 people a day earlier. Three sources – including an aid worker, a diplomat and a security source – separately told the news agency Reuters that the assailants had hit two unnamed localities in Mopti, killing at least 50 on Wednesday.

The Resurgence of Violence in Mali

The latest attacks come a day after armed fighters stormed the Kenieroba Central Prison, a recently built complex about 60km (37 miles) southwest of Bamako, which houses 2,500 prisoners, including at least 72 inmates considered “high value” by the Malian state.

The Threat and Military Response

During a news conference in Bamako on Wednesday, Malian army commander Djibrilla Maiga said fighters were attempting to reorganise after the April ⁠attacks, which killed Defence Minister Sadio Camara and drove Russian troops aligned with Mali’s leaders from ⁠the strategic northern town of Kidal.

“The threat is still present,” Maiga said, though he added that the military was disrupting their manoeuvres.