On Thursday, seven Malian soldiers were killed and several more were injured in an ambush and assault, while two French servicemen were wounded by a roadside bomb in central Mali, the government spokesperson Yaya Sangare said in a statement published on the local website Malivox.net.
According to the national army's statement, the Malian troops were attacked by "unidentified armed men" in Dioungani in the Mopti region near the border with Burkina Faso. During the several-hour assault, the attackers took army positions and then were repelled by reinforcements.
Dans la nuit du 22 au 23 janvier 2020, les #FAMa ont été attaquées à Dioungani par des hommes armés non identifiés. Ce poste FAMa est situé à 52 km de #Koro(#Mopti).
— Forces Armées Maliennes (@FAMa_DIRPA) January 23, 2020
Au cours de cette attaque, les FAMa déplorent un bilan provisoire de 6 morts et des blessés. pic.twitter.com/7qd68BuzYN
Two French soldiers were wounded by an improvised explosive device, which detonated under a fuel tank on a road near Timbuktu, the French army stated. It added that the wounds were not life-threatening.
The situation in Mali was destabilized in 2012 when Tuareg militants seized vast territories in the northern part of the country. The conflict escalated even more due to the activities of Islamists, forces loyal to former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as well as French interference.
The tensions have significantly de-escalated since then, however sporadic clashes have continued to take place.
