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BAMAKO, Mali – A car stuffed with explosives exploded at the headquarters of a new counterterrorism force from West Africa to Mali, triggering a shootout that killed two soldiers, a civilian and two attackers, said Friday at the Associated Press
The attack highlighted the bravery of the extremist threat in a part of the world that has made the headlines in October with the assassination of four US soldiers in an ambush. General Didier Dacko, commander of the force, confirmed Friday the attack by telephone from Niger, saying that this attack was "ongoing as I speak to you." Residents said that the explosion had shaken the community of Sevare, near Mopti. 19659007] In addition to the dead, two other attackers were captured, said G5 Sahel spokesman Abdul Salam Diagana at the AP. Four soldiers, three suspected assailants and one civilian were wounded, said Dr. Djibril Kassogue at Sevare Hospital. "The lives of the wounded are not in danger," he said.
This is the first time that the G5 Sahel headquarters is targeted. The aggression comes shortly before French President Emmanuel Macron and African leaders meet at a summit of the African Union Sunday in Mauritania, with the extremist regional threat to the country. ;agenda.
There was no immediate information on the identity of the attackers. A number of extremist groups linked to Al Qaeda and Islamic State are active in Mali, often targeting local security forces and the world's deadliest peacekeeping mission. They also organized large-scale attacks in the capital cities of Mali and Burkina Faso, including simultaneous assaults on the French embassy and the army headquarters in the capital of Burkina Faso in March 1965
]Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger and Mauritania. It has received millions of dollars of support from the United States, the European Union, Saudi Arabia and other countries.
The new force joins the anti-terrorist efforts in the region, including France's largest military operation overseas. Follow the news of Africa on https://twitter.com/AP_Africa
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