In an attack near the town of Tessit on Sunday, militants killed 17 soldier and four civilians, the Malian army said.
In a statement released late on Monday, the Army said that 9 soldiers were missing and several pieces of equipment including vehicles were destroyed. The Army says it suspects an Islamic State affiliate organization of carrying out the attacks.
The Malian Army claimed it had killed 7 militants.
“On 07 August 2022 around 15h00, the army units of Tessit… responded vigorously to a complex and coordinated attack by armed terrorist groups, presumably from ISGS (Islamic State in the Greater Sahara) and benefiting from drone and artillery support,” the statement said.
The Tessit sector is a vast rural area that is not controlled by the state and is frequently the scene of clashes and attacks. This region which is located on the Malian side of the Tri-border, like entire so-called three-border zone, is all the more isolated during the rainy season when heavy rainfall prevents easy access and movement.
The Malian army military based close to the town of Tessit has also often been attacked in this region. In In this area, sometimes called the “Malian Gourma,” peacekeepers from the UN mission in Mali also operate, reported Africa News.
Armed groups affiliated with Al Qaeda, under the umbrella of the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM, JNIM in Arabic), are fighting the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS), an affiliate of the EI. The Islamic militants are seeking control of this strategic, gold-bearing area.
These non-state actors are waging a war against the state and the violence has spilled over to countries like Niger and Burkina Faso too.
