DOZENS of people have reportedly been killed in attacks on two villages in central Mali, the deadliest assault since armed groups launched a co-ordinated offensive in the country last month.
At least 30 people were killed when jihadists raided the villages of Korikori and Gomossogou in Mopti region, according to sources quoted by the AFP news agency.
Other diplomatic and aid sources separately told the Reuters news agency the death toll from Wednesday’s simultaneous attacks had reached at least 50.
The al Qaeda-linked group JNIM said it was responsible.
The Malian army said it had conducted a “targeted operation” in the area, where about a dozen jihadist fighters were “neutralised”.
Since 2012, Mali has been plagued by insurgencies and large parts of the north and east of the country remain outside government control.
Last month saw nationwide, coordinated attacks by an alliance of jihadists and separatist rebels in the north – the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) – seeking to overthrow the military regime of Gen Assimi Goïta, who seized power in a coup in 2020.
A security source told AFP the Wednesday night attacks were carried out in retaliation for acts attributed to the Dan Na Ambassagou militia, a self-defence group formed by local communities in response to years of violence in central Mali.
“Unidentified armed men burst in, opening fire and ransacking the village,” a resident told Reuters.
It was not immediately clear how many civilians had been killed, with several villagers still reported missing.
“The victims are mostly militiamen. But there are also teenagers and children,” a source told AFP.
WAMAPS, a network of West African journalists specialising in Sahel security, said the provisional death toll exceeded 50 villagers.
“Villages have been looted and some properties set on fire,” the group added.