At least 30 civilians reported killed in Mali truck attack
ABC News
A local official in central Mali says gunmen attacked a truck carrying civilians in central Mali, killing at least 31 people
BAMAKO, Mali -- Gunmen attacked a truck carrying civilians in central Mali, killing at least 31 people, a local official said Saturday.
The mayor of Bandiagara, Housseini Saye, said the truck was carrying about 50 civilians when the identified gunmen attacked the vehicle Friday about 10 kilometers outside the town.
"The shooting caused the truck to catch fire, and 31 people died, most of them burned to death,” said the mayor, who is also a member of Mali's transitional parliament. “There were several injured and two missing.”
The attack has not been claimed, but it bears the mark of local armed groups linked to al-Qaida. The bloodshed could exacerbate tensions between communities in central Mali that already have led to extended violence in the region.
