A central Mali assault claimed at least 21 civilian lives

Two local sources said on Saturday that gunmen attacked a community in central Mali’s Mopti area on Friday and murdered at least 21 villagers there.

According to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the unidentified attackers attacked in the late afternoon and targeted the hamlet of Yarou close to the town of Bandiagara.

“There was actual devastation; armed guys charged into the community and opened fire on residents. Twenty to thirty people have been murdered and injured, according to one of the sources over the phone.

According to the second source, there were 21 recorded fatalities, including women, and 11 additional people were injured.

The accounts could not be independently verified by Reuters. No one quickly took ownership of the assault.

Following a Tuareg separatist uprising in 2012, the country of West Africa is now fighting a deadly insurgency with ties to al Qaeda and Islamic State that has taken root in its desert north.

Since then, militant groups have extended to neighboring nations in the Sahel area south of the Sahara, capturing land, murdering thousands of people, and displacing millions of others.

Since August 2020, Mali has had two military coups as a result of frustration with the escalating instability. After severing ties with longtime Western partners, the junta has turned to Russian mercenaries for assistance.

There are worries the nation might descend further into turmoil as a result of its surprise demand for the withdrawal of U.N. forces in June.