Jihadi rebels attack key military base near Mali's capital
The Hindu
Two vehicles loaded with explosives detonated at the camp at about 5 a.m., according to a statement issued by the military.
Jihadi rebels have attacked Mali's Kati military base on the outskirts of the capital city Bamako, the ruling junta confirmed on July 22.
It's the first time Kati, Mali's largest military base, has been targeted by extremist rebels in the more than 10-year insurgency in the West African country. Two vehicles loaded with explosives detonated at the camp at about 5 a.m., according to a statement issued by the military.
“The Malian Armed Forces vigorously repelled a terrorist attack on the Kati barracks,” said the statement, which said that two attackers were killed. “The situation is under control and a sweep is under way to find the perpetrators and their accomplices,” said the statement.
Friday’s attack on the Kati barracks follows a coordinated series of insurgent attacks on Thursday. In one of those incidents, the extremists attacked a police base in Kolokani, 60KM (37 miles) north of Bamako and two Malian soldiers were killed, said the military in a statement.
The leader of Mali's ruling junta Lt. Col. Assimi Goita frequently stays at the Kati camp, where he launched the 2020 coup that brought him to power.
Jihadi rebels linked to al Qaida and the Islamic State group have been fighting an insurgency in Mali for more than a decade. Their attacks have mostly been in northern Mali but recently the extremists have moved into central Mali. In recent weeks they have moved closer to the capital.
“Last week gunmen attacked an army checkpoint about 60KM (37 miles) outside Bamako, killing at least six people and wounding several others,” officials said.