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At least 10 Malian soldiers were killed Sunday in the attack of suspected jihadists in the center of the African country, AFP told AFP a source for security.
"There are at least 10 dead soldiers," said the Malian source. "Yes, our Guire camp was attacked Sunday around five in the morning."
"The terrorists came out of the forest driving motorbikes and vans, burning vehicles and taking others," said the source, who asked for anonymity.
The Malian armed forces confirmed the attack on Twitter and said reinforcements were being sent to the Nara area, about 370 km north of Bamako, the capital.
A resident of the area, contacted by AFP, said that there had been heavy fire and that the army had been taken by surprise "during the attack.
"I saw two terrorists put their motorcycles in an army vehicle and leave with it," he said.
On Saturday, a UN peacekeeper was killed and four others wounded when a mine exploded as their convoy crossed central Mali, the latest in ongoing violence.
The UN mission was established in Mali after radical Islamist militias seized the north of the country in 2012 before being repulsed by French troops in 2013.
A peace agreement signed in 2015 by the Bamako government and armed groups aimed at restoring stability. But the agreement failed to stop the violence.
The latest attacks took place as President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita continued consultations to choose a new Prime Minister – two days after the previous one, Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, who had resigned with his entire cabinet, under the fire of the ruling parties and opposition disorders.
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