The Malian army said on Sunday that new fighting had broken out in the north between the military and armed rebel groups, the latest in a series of attacks on the army in the troubled West African country. The army reported on social media "intense fighting" against "terrorists" in the early hours of the morning, in the area of Bamba which separatist rebels claimed to have taken control of. Tuareg-dominated separatist groups said on Saturday that they had inflicted heavy losses on the Malian military in an attack in the centre of the country, claiming to have killed 81 soldiers. Since the end of August, the north of Mali has seen a resumption of hostilities by the CMA and an intensification of jihadist attacks against the Malian army. Mali's junta, which seized power in 2020, faces a multitude of security challenges throughout the poor and landlocked country.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 01, 2023 14:17 UTC