An elaborate attack by an Al Qaeda affiliate in Mali’s capital killed approximately 70 people, Reuters reported, noting their diplomatic sources.
Militants targeted an elite police training academy and the airport on Tuesday, showcasing their ability to strike vital locations.
The incident undermines the ruling junta’s claims of improved security since expelling French and US forces for Russian assistance.
Since the incidents, the death toll is reportedly in the 70s, said two diplomats while a third indicated hundreds may be dead or wounded. A local newspaper reported that funerals for about 50 police cadets were scheduled for Thursday following the attack.
Hospitals in Bamako have reportedly run out of beds, highlighting the scale of the attack on the community.
Al Qaeda affiliate Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) claimed responsibility for the brutal assault on the capital.
Mali’s ruling junta acknowledged suffering losses but did not provide specific casualty figures in their statement.
Videos shared on social media showed insurgents setting fire to a presidential jet and deceased bodies at the police academy.