According to local officials, an armed group attacked a wedding ceremony in Djiguibombo, central Mali, and killed at least 21 people earlier this week. The assailants, arriving on motorcycles, looted homes, set fire to a health center, and stole livestock and supplies during the three-hour attack. Locals believe the attack was carried out by jihadists, especially since it mirrors past assaults by the al-Qaida-linked JNIM extremist group. However, no group has claimed responsibility for this attack. The attack is the latest tragedy in a series of violence meted out on the region by al-Qaeda and Islamic State-affiliated groups since 2012. The situation has deteriorated even further after Mali’s military junta, which took power in 2020, cut ties with France.
SOURCE: DW