MALI – Suspected militants killed 24 soldiers in an attack here, the army said, while another 29 were injured during a joint operation between troops from Mali and Niger in the Gao border region.
The army added 17 “terrorists” were killed and 100 suspects were being held in Tiloa, Niger.
The incident came weeks after 54 troops were killed in another attack – one of the deadliest in the past decade.
Details of Monday’s attack were unclear and authorities have not identified what group the assailants belonged to.
According to the United Nations, over 1,500 civilians were killed in Mali and Burkina Faso since January, with millions more in need of humanitarian assistance.(BBC)
