MALI – Gunmen temporarily seized an army base in Central Mali, Local Media reported on Sunday citing a local mayor.
The attack in the Mpoti region also led to the death of 16 Malian soldiers. The base was burned with reports indicating that arms had also been taken.
Mali’s central government continues to battle with insurgent groups largely located in the country’s vast north.
Security watchers believe the attack was orchestrated by Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin, JNIM.
Nusrat al-Islam, officially known as Jama’at Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin’ is a militant organisation that operates in the Maghreb and West Africa.
It was formed by the merger of more popularly Ansar Dine, the Macina Liberation Front, Al-Mourabitoun and the Saharan branch of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, AQIM.
