At least one chilling terrorist attack claimed 10 dead in central Mali after the bombs went off they were hidden among the corpses of two people that their relatives had gone to identify after another attack, then the total number of victims is 12. researchers accusing jihadist groups.

On Friday, “jihadists killed two civilians for the first time in Ouakan” near Bankass, in central Mali, “before setting traps on their bodies“, an official from a neighboring municipality explained to the AFP agency, on condition of anonymity.

“When the relatives of the deceased came to look for the bodies, there was an explosion and at least ten other people were killed“, He added.

This version was corroborated by another elected official of the region, who indicated that “for the time being there are other civilians missing in Ouakan“without knowing if” they are dead or not “.

A police source confirmed to AFP “the provisional toll of a dozen dead civilians”.

From Saturday, a safety device “to protect the populations” would be put in place.

“Jihadists are using more and more criminal methods. In Ouakan they have bodies trapped by explosives which were then blown up,” the source said.

On Saturday, several dozen residents of Ouakan left their homes to seek refuge in neighboring villages, fearing further attacks.

Mali, a poor country located in the volatile Sahel region, has suffered a severe security crisis since 2012 after the outbreak of independence and jihadist uprisings in the north.

The country is governed by a military junta after two coups led by Colonel Assimi Goita, who refused to hold elections last February, as he had promised, and offered to keep them in February 2024.

The conflict in Mali has intensified in recent months against a background of withdrawal of French troops from Operation Barkhane and the reorganization of the jihadist groups operating in this area, in particular the local branch of the Islamic State (IS).

The continuous attacks against the Army and the clashes between the same armed groups, which according to the United Nations have caused hundreds of deaths in a conflict that A decade has passedbut with a worrying trend which is the increase in violence against the civilian population by all parties.

With information from AFP

DB