Northern Mali has seen repeated violence since it fell under the control of Tuareg-led rebels who allied with jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in 2012. BAMAKO - Seventeen soldiers were killed and 35 wounded in central Mali yesterday in an assault on their base that authorities called a "coordinated terrorist attack". The group also claimed to have wounded 11 soldiers, as well as making off with two trucks and five pick-up trucks. Ansar Dine, which is one of several active jihadist groups roaming Mali’s north, also claimed to have taken control of the army barracks and carried off a large quantity of "spoils". "The toll has increased: we have lost 17 men and 35 are wounded," Mali’s defence minister Tieman Hubert Coulibaly said.

Source: Viet Nam News July 20, 2016 02:26 UTC