The death toll is “still provisional” and may “change”, according to the army statement, which added that seven jihadists “who appear to belong to the Islamic State in the Sahara terrorist group” were also killed.
At least 17 soldiers and four civilians were killed on Sunday and nine others are missing after an attack attributed to jihadists in the town of Tessit in the so-called “three border” zone of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, the general staff of the armed forces said. in Bamako last Monday night.
The death toll is “still provisional” and may “change,” according to the military statement, which added that seven fighters “who appear to belong to the Islamic State in the Sahara” and were supported “by drones and artillery” were also killed. “, while “they used explosives and vehicles rigged with explosives”.
According to the military, “secret” flights of UAVs, which were not “coordinated”, and “recorded by the armed forces yesterday, Sunday and today (s.s.: yesterday)”, confirm “the hypothesis that terrorists are benefiting from major support and technical expertise from abroad”.
The staff also reported 22 wounded in the ranks of the army, damaged material, notably three vehicles completely destroyed and others damaged, as well as damage to army facilities and houses.
On the “enemy” side, in addition to the seven dead, the army spoke of an “unknown number of dead and wounded” that the perpetrators of the attack took with them when they left.
A previous army report said 4 soldiers and 2 civilians were dead.
The Tessit sector, in the part of the so-called tri-border zone located in Mali, is a vast area with low vegetation, outside the control of the state, which often turns into a theater of conflicts and attacks.
Armed organizations close to al-Qaeda, grouped under the Organization for the Support of Islam and Muslims (WIM), are fighting there against the Islamic State in the Sahara (ISIS). Jihadists are seeking to control this strategically important area, home to large veins of gold.
The Malian army, stationed in a camp next to the community of Tesit, is frequently attacked with a base in this area. In addition, blue-collar workers of the UN mission in the country are operating in the area.
As for civilians, as elsewhere in Mali, they often find themselves in the crossfire of the warring parties, and are accused of siding with one side or the other. Residents of the area fled by the thousands, mostly to the nearby large city of Gao, some 150 kilometers to the north.
Mali has been mired in a major crisis since 2012. The activity of jihadist groups, initially confined to the north of the country, has now spread to its central and southern regions, as well as neighboring countries, Burkina Faso and Niger.
RES-EMP
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