A local official of Mali reported on Saturday that gunmen attacked a truck carrying civilians in central Mali, killing at least 30 people.
Housseini Saye, the mayor of Bandiagara, said the truck was carrying approximately 50 passengers when the gunmen attacked it on Friday about 10 kilometres outside the town.
‘The gunfire caused the truck to catch fire, and 31 people died, the majority of them were charred to death,’ claimed the mayor, who also serves in Mali’s transitional parliament. ‘Several people were injured, and two people went missing.’
The incident was not claimed by any group, but it had the signs of local armed groups affiliated with al-Qaida. The bloodshed may increase tensions between communities in central Mali, which have already resulted in prolonged conflict in the region.
Attacks on the Malian army by al-Qaida-linked armed groups began in 2015. Attacks on civilians and UN forces in Mali have exacerbated the country’s insecurity.
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