Gunmen attacked and briefly seized a Malian army base overnight, killing at least 16 military and destroying five vehicles in central Mopti region, said two local officials in the area where the attack occurred. Army spokesman Colonel Diarran Kone confirmed the attack took place but declined further details.
The base is in the village of Dioura, the mayor of the nearest town Kareri, Youssouf Coulibaly, confirmed, that the Central Mali has in the past few years been overrun by Islamic radicals with links to Al Qaeda.
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“I’m currently inside the base and there were many deaths here. We’ve counted 16 so far,” Mr. Coulibaly said. (Below interactive map of fatalities and violent episodes in Mali since August 2014).
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