Al-Qaida affiliate attack in Mali kills dozens

An elaborate attack by an Al-Qaida affiliate in Mali's capital this week killed about 70 people, diplomatic and security sources said on Thursday, while the government offered no figures on casualties.

Militants attacked an elite police training academy and the airport on Tuesday, demonstrating their ability to strike at the heart of Mali's capital.

The country is fighting an insurgency that took root over a decade ago in its arid north.

The scale and complexity of the attacks further undermine the ruling junta's claims that security has improved since it expelled French and U.S. forces and turned to Russia for support.

Two diplomats serving in the region, including one based in Bamako, said the death toll was believed to be in the 70s. Reuters could not independently verify the numbers.

A third diplomat based in the region said hundreds were believed to be dead and wounded, and hospitals had run out of beds to treat survivors.

Since the conflict in Mali erupted, violence has spread to neighboring countries in the Sahel region and reached the north of coastal nations. Thousands have been killed, and millions displaced in the region, with some fighters allied with Al-Qaida or the Islamic State.

Tuesday's attack was claimed by the Al-Qaida affiliate Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM).

Mali's ruling junta acknowledged suffering some losses but did not provide details. A Malian newspaper reported that funerals for about 50 police cadets were to be held on Thursday.

Reuters was unable to obtain further details or confirm whether the services took place.

The attack was captured in videos published on social media, showing insurgents setting fire to the presidential jet and dead bodies at the police academy.

Only days prior, Mali's junta leader, Assimi Goita, who seized power in a coup in 2021, claimed his army had considerably weakened the armed groups it is fighting with Russia's help.

The attack also follows a battle with high casualties in July, when insurgents wiped out scores of experienced Russian mercenaries and Malian forces in fighting near Mali's northern border with Algeria.

Reyters