Africa

64 killed in Mali as militants attack passenger boat, military base

VAM News

Two attacks by suspected al-Qaeda-linked militants in Mali on Thursday September 7, killed 64 people including dozens of civilians, the country’s transitional government has revealed.

The attacks on Thursday, targeted a passenger boat on the Niger River near Timbuktu and an army base in Bamba, in the northern Gao region, killing 49 civilians and 15 soldiers, according to the interim government’s statement.

According to a statement from the Malian Army, an “armed terrorist group” attacked the passenger boat at 11 a.m. local time near Rharous Cercle in the Timbuktu region.

The Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM), a militant group associated with al Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The Sahara-Sahel region, of which Mali is a part, has seen an increase in violence in recent years as an Islamic insurgency brews near the borders of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

Almost 9 million people need humanitarian assistance in the country. Earlier this month, UN agencies said 200,000 children were at risk of starvation.

VAM News

Recent Posts

2027 Presidency: Goodluck Jonathan joins race

THE Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is set to screen former…

14 minutes ago

Bus kills pedestrian in fatal crash

A pedestrian has lost his life after being knocked down by a Toyota Coaster bus…

50 minutes ago

Court Grants El-Rufai N100m Bail, Sets Conditions

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir…

2 hours ago

US military targets ISIS in Nigeria again

The US Africa Command, AFRICOM, in a joint collaboration with the Nigerian Government has carried…

2 hours ago

Man behead mother, kills sister, child in attack

In the first incident, a middle-aged man allegedly attacked and killed his mother with a…

2 hours ago

Osun APC calls for calm amid election disputes

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State has called for restraint…

4 hours ago