Dakar, Jan. 12 (BNA): The army said that 14 Malian soldiers were killed and 11 wounded on Tuesday in two separate attacks in central Mali, after their cars exploded with explosive devices.
The incidents took place in central regions of the country where militants with links to al Qaeda and the Islamic State are attacking civilians, Malian soldiers, UN peacekeepers and other international forces, Reuters reported.
The army said in a statement that the deployment of reinforcements in response to the recent attacks resulted in the killing of 31 militants.
Reuters could not independently confirm the news, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Mali has been plagued by Islamist violence since 2012, when an uprising by Tuareg separatists in the north was hijacked by jihadist groups. The violence has since spread to other countries in West Africa’s Sahel region despite a costly international military response.