20 killed in suspected Jihadist attack in Mali

BAMAKO: Around 20 people including civilians were killed in a suspected Jihadist attack in northeastern Mali near the border with Niger, sources said.

The deaths came after more than 100 people including many civilians, particularly from the Fulani and Tuareg communities, died in recent months as a result of attacks by rival armed groups in the region. A local official in the town of Talataye -- where Saturday’s attack took place -- said late on Sunday that the assailants arrived in three vehicles and on a motorcycle. Khalil Toure, a teacher, added: "They opened fire on a group of people resting under a tree, killing five people on the spot and wounding two."