Mali: deadly attack against the armed forces in Tarkint

Text by: Serge Daniel

It is one of the deadliest attacks on the Malian army in recent months in northern Mali. Suspected jihadists attacked Malian army positions on Thursday in the locality of Tarkint, in the Gao region. Thirty Malian soldiers were killed in this locality, known in particular for being the place of passage for many traffickers.

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With our correspondent in Bamako,

The attackers, a few dozen, officially qualified as terrorists , arrived in the locality of Tarkint, north of Gao, the main town in northern Mali, on motorbikes and in several vehicles. They quickly and on three fronts targeted the positions of the regular army. Heavy fire was heard, witnesses said. " These are not asymmetrical attacks, but real military operations ," said an expert.

The death toll is heavy in the ranks of the Malian armed forces. The assailants' assessment was not specified. Generally, the jihadists leave with their dead and wounded.

After the attack, the populations showed a surge of solidarity vis-à-vis the army. According to our information, they participated in the burial of the bodies transported to Bourem, south of Tarkint.

Tarkint is a strategic locality for traffickers of all kinds , disturbed by the presence of the Malian army on the spot.

This attack is the deadliest suffered by the Malian army in four months. In a context of serious security deterioration across the Sahel, operations blamed on the jihadists have left dozens dead in the ranks of the Malian security forces.

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• Mali
• Terrorism

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