Twenty-four people including mothers and babies were killed on Thursday when their vehicle ran over a landmine in central Mali, local residents said.

The deaths brought the number of fatalities linked to Mali's jihadist insurgency to 33 in 24 hours, most of them civilians.

The victims had been travelling from neighbouring Burkina Faso for a weekly market in Boni, local officials said.

The blast occurred nine kilometres (five miles) from the town.

"The final toll is 24, including four babies with their mothers. There are no survivors," said Boni resident Abdoulaye Cheick, who described himself as a relative of one of the dead.

Local officials had earlier given a provisional toll of 13 dead, made up of civilians from Mali and Burkina Faso.

"Terrorists use these mines to spread fear," a Malian security source said, adding that the victims had been killed instantly.

Another unnamed local official said that the vehicle was carrying seven traders from Burkina Faso as well as Malians.

In November, five civilians including a teenage girl were killed when the bus they were travelling on struck a mine. No group claimed responsibility for that incident.

Islamic extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

In June 2015, Mali's government signed a peace agreement with coalitions of armed groups. But insurgents remain active, and large tracts of the country are lawless.

In a separate development, a Malian army source said five "terrorists" and two soldiers were killed Thursday when a security post came under attack in Youwarou, in the centre of the country.

Another attack, at Ngomakoura, also in central Mali, was repelled and there were no casualties, the source said. Thirty-six gendarmes stationed in Ngomakoura deserted last week and face a court martial in Bamako.

On Wednesday, security sources said two customs officers were killed in a suspected jihadist attack at a market in the small village of Toubakoro, some 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of the capital.

Mali is one of a string of poor, fragile nations in the Sahel region that have been battered by terror attacks.

The country has joined with Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso in the so-called "G5 Sahel" initiative, pooling military efforts to fight the jihadists.

Backed by France, the joint force has been focusing in its early operations on re-establishing control in lawless frontier regions where terror groups have been able to flourish.

On the political front, the UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a French-drafted statement giving parties to the 2015 peace deal until the end of March to show progress or face sanctions.

The council said there was a "pressing need to deliver tangible and visible peace dividends to the population in the North and other parts of Mali" ahead of elections scheduled for this year. </s> A landmine that exploded in a civilian passenger vehicle in central Mali on Thursday in Mali, killed 26 people and wounded several others, state TV reported.

Malian army spokesman, Diarran Kone, said the vehicle had crossed the volatile border with neighbouring Burkina Faso, where militants loyal to Islamic State are known to operate, when it ran over the mine.

State TV said many of the dead and wounded in the explosion, which took place by the village of Boni, not far from central Mali’s medieval Islamic city of Mopti, once a popular tourist spot, were Burkina Faso nationals.

In the past three years, Islamist groups that had long been destabilising the thinly populated desert north of Mali have swept south into its wetter, more populated central regions, exploiting local conflicts to spread jihad.

That has shifted the battlefield closer to the more prosperous south and capital Bamako, raising concerns for the security of a presidential election expected between July and November.

In a separate incident, the Malian military said its forces came under attack in the town of Youwarou, also near Mopti, but that they had repelled it.

“They neutralised seven terrorists and recovered equipment abandoned by the assailants,” the army said in a statement.

Mali and its western neighbour Senegal plan to deploy 1,000 troops soon in an operation to pacify central Mali and contain jihadists who had previously been confined to its Saharan expanses in the north.

Analysts doubt they will be able to do so purely through military means.

The Islamists exploit the grievances of Fulani cattle herders and their disputes with local farmers over access to grazing lands.

Periodic crackdowns on suspected jihadists have therefore tended to target the Fulani, driving some of them into the militants’ arms. (Reuters/NAN) </s> Twenty-four people including mothers and babies were killed on Thursday when their vehicle ran over a landmine in central Mali, local residents said.

The deaths brought the number of fatalities linked to Mali’s jihadist insurgency to 33 in 24 hours, most of them civilians.

The victims had been travelling from neighbouring Burkina Faso for a weekly market in Boni, local officials said.

The blast occurred nine kilometres (five miles) from the town.

“The final toll is 24, including four babies with their mothers. There are no survivors,” said Boni resident Abdoulaye Cheick, who described himself as a relative of one of the dead.

Local officials had earlier given a provisional toll of 13 dead, made up of civilians from Mali and Burkina Faso.

“Terrorists use these mines to spread fear,” a Malian security source said, adding that the victims had been killed instantly.

Another unnamed local official said that the vehicle was carrying seven traders from Burkina Faso as well as Malians.

In November, five civilians including a teenage girl were killed when the bus they were travelling on struck a mine. No group claimed responsibility for that incident.

Islamic extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

In June 2015, Mali’s government signed a peace agreement with coalitions of armed groups. But insurgents remain active, and large tracts of the country are lawless.

In a separate development, a Malian army source said five “terrorists” and two soldiers were killed Thursday when a security post came under attack in Youwarou, in the centre of the country.

Another attack, at Ngomakoura, also in central Mali, was repelled and there were no casualties, the source said. Thirty-six gendarmes stationed in Ngomakoura deserted last week and face a court martial in Bamako.

On Wednesday, security sources said two customs officers were killed in a suspected jihadist attack at a market in the small village of Toubakoro, some 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of the capital.

Mali is one of a string of poor, fragile nations in the Sahel region that have been battered by terror attacks.

The country has joined with Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso in the so-called “G5 Sahel” initiative, pooling military efforts to fight the jihadists.

Backed by France, the joint force has been focusing in its early operations on re-establishing control in lawless frontier regions where terror groups have been able to flourish.

On the political front, the UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a French-drafted statement giving parties to the 2015 peace deal until the end of March to show progress or face sanctions.

The council said there was a “pressing need to deliver tangible and visible peace dividends to the population in the North and other parts of Mali” ahead of elections scheduled for this year. </s> Twenty-four people including mothers and babies were killed Thursday when their vehicle ran over a landmine in central Mali, local residents said.

The deaths brought the number of fatalities linked to Mali's terrorist insurgency to 33 in 24 hours, most of them civilians.

The victims had been traveling from neighboring Burkina Faso for a weekly market in Boni, local officials said.

The blast occurred nine kilometers (five miles) from the town.

"The final toll is 24, including four babies with their mothers. There are no survivors," said Boni resident Abdoulaye Cheick, who described himself as a relative of one of the dead.

 Local officials had earlier given a provisional toll of 13 dead, made up of civilians from Mali and Burkina Faso.

"Terrorists use these mines to spread fear," a Malian security source said, adding that the victims had been killed instantly.

Another unnamed local official said that the vehicle was carrying seven traders from Burkina Faso as well as Malians.

In November, five civilians including a teenage girl were killed when the bus they were traveling on struck a mine. No group claimed responsibility for that incident.

Militants linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

In June 2015, Mali's government signed a peace agreement with coalitions of armed groups. But insurgents remain active, and large tracts of the country are lawless.

In a separate development, a Malian army source said five "terrorists" and two soldiers were killed Thursday when a security post came under attack in Youwarou, in the center of the country.

Another attack, at Ngomakoura, also in central Mali, was repelled and there were no casualties, the source said. Thirty-six gendarmes stationed in Ngomakoura deserted last week and face a court martial in Bamako.

On Wednesday, security sources said two customs officers were killed in a suspected terrorist attack at a market in the small village of Toubakoro, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of the capital.

Mali is one of a string of poor, fragile nations in the Sahel region that have been battered by terror attacks.

The country has joined with Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso in the so-called "G5 Sahel" initiative, pooling military efforts to fight the militant groups.

Backed by France, the joint force has been focusing in its early operations on re-establishing control in lawless frontier regions where terrorist groups have been able to flourish.

On the political front, the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a French-drafted statement giving parties to the 2015 peace deal until the end of March to show progress or face sanctions.

The council said there was a "pressing need to deliver tangible and visible peace dividends to the population in the North and other parts of Mali" ahead of elections scheduled for this year. </s> Twenty-four people including mothers and babies were killed Thursday when their vehicle ran over a landmine in central Mali, local residents said.

The deaths brought the number of fatalities linked to Mali's terrorist insurgency to 33 in 24 hours, most of them civilians.

The victims had been traveling from neighboring Burkina Faso for a weekly market in Boni, local officials said.

The blast occurred nine kilometers (five miles) from the town.

"The final toll is 24, including four babies with their mothers. There are no survivors," said Boni resident Abdoulaye Cheick, who described himself as a relative of one of the dead.

Local officials had earlier given a provisional toll of 13 dead, made up of civilians from Mali and Burkina Faso.

"Terrorists use these mines to spread fear," a Malian security source said, adding that the victims had been killed instantly.

Another unnamed local official said that the vehicle was carrying seven traders from Burkina Faso as well as Malians.

In November, five civilians including a teenage girl were killed when the bus they were traveling on struck a mine. No group claimed responsibility for that incident.

Militants linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

In June 2015, Mali's government signed a peace agreement with coalitions of armed groups. But insurgents remain active, and large tracts of the country are lawless.

In a separate development, a Malian army source said five "terrorists" and two soldiers were killed Thursday when a security post came under attack in Youwarou, in the center of the country.

Another attack, at Ngomakoura, also in central Mali, was repelled and there were no casualties, the source said. Thirty-six gendarmes stationed in Ngomakoura deserted last week and face a court martial in Bamako.

On Wednesday, security sources said two customs officers were killed in a suspected terrorist attack at a market in the small village of Toubakoro, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of the capital.

Mali is one of a string of poor, fragile nations in the Sahel region that have been battered by terror attacks.

The country has joined with Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso in the so-called "G5 Sahel" initiative, pooling military efforts to fight the militant groups.

Backed by France, the joint force has been focusing in its early operations on re-establishing control in lawless frontier regions where terrorist groups have been able to flourish.

On the political front, the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a French-drafted statement giving parties to the 2015 peace deal until the end of March to show progress or face sanctions.

The council said there was a "pressing need to deliver tangible and visible peace dividends to the population in the North and other parts of Mali" ahead of elections scheduled for this year. </s> The landmine that exploded in a civilian passenger vehicle in central Mali on Thursday in Mali, killed 26 people and wounded several others, state TV reported.

Malian army spokesman Col. Diarran Kone said the vehicle had crossed the volatile border with neighbouring Burkina Faso, where militants loyal to Islamic State are known to operate, when it ran over the mine.

State TV said many of the dead and wounded in the explosion, which took place by the village of Boni, not far from central Mali’s medieval Islamic city of Mopti, once a popular tourist spot, were Burkina Faso nationals.

In the past three years, Islamist groups that had long been destabilizing the thinly populated desert north of Mali have swept south into its wetter, more populated central regions, exploiting local conflicts to spread jihad.

That has shifted the battlefield closer to the more prosperous south and capital Bamako, raising concerns for the security of a presidential election expected between July and November.

In a separate incident, the Malian military said its forces came under attack in the town of Youwarou, also near Mopti, but that they had repelled it.

“They neutralised seven terrorists and recovered equipment abandoned by the assailants,” thr army said

 in a statement.

Mali and its western neighbour Senegal plan to deploy 1,000 troops soon in an operation to pacify central Mali and contain jihadists who had previously been confined to its Saharan expanses in the north.

Analysts doubt they will be able to do so purely through military means.

The Islamists exploit the grievances of Fulani cattle herders and their disputes with local farmers over access to grazing lands.

Periodic crackdowns on suspected jihadists have therefore tended to target the Fulani, driving some of them into the militants’ arms. </s> BAMAKO (Reuters) - A landmine explosion blew up a civilian passenger vehicle in central Mali on Thursday, killing 26 people and wounding several others, state TV reported.

The vehicle had crossed the volatile border with neighbouring Burkina Faso, where militants loyal to Islamic State are known to operate, when it ran over the mine, Malian army spokesman Colonel Diarran Kone said.

State TV said many of the dead and wounded in the explosion, which took place by the village of Boni, not far from central Mali’s medieval Islamic city of Mopti, once a popular tourist spot, were Burkina Faso nationals.

In the past three years, Islamist groups that had long been destabilising the thinly populated desert north of Mali have swept south into its wetter, more populated central regions, exploiting local conflicts to spread jihad.

That has shifted the battlefield closer to the more prosperous south and capital Bamako, raising concerns for the security of a presidential election expected between July and November.

In a separate incident, the Malian military said its forces came under attack in the town of Youwarou, also near Mopti, but that they had repelled it.

“They neutralised seven terrorists and recovered equipment abandoned by the assailants,” it said in a statement.

Mali and its western neighbour Senegal plan to deploy 1,000 troops soon in an operation to pacify central Mali and contain jihadists who had previously been confined to its Saharan expanses in the north.

But analysts doubt they will be able to do so purely through military means. The Islamists exploit the grievances of Fulani cattle herders and their disputes with local farmers over access to grazing lands.

Periodic crackdowns on suspected jihadists have therefore tended to target the Fulani, driving some of them into the militants’ arms. </s> BAMAKO (Reuters) - A landmine explosion blew up a civilian passenger vehicle in central Mali on Thursday, killing 26 people and wounding several others, state TV reported.

The vehicle had crossed the volatile border with neighboring Burkina Faso, where militants loyal to Islamic State are known to operate, when it ran over the mine, Malian army spokesman Colonel Diarran Kone said.

State TV said many of the dead and wounded in the explosion, which took place by the village of Boni, not far from central Mali’s medieval Islamic city of Mopti, once a popular tourist spot, were Burkina Faso nationals.

In the past three years, Islamist groups that had long been destabilizing the thinly populated desert north of Mali have swept south into its wetter, more populated central regions, exploiting local conflicts to spread jihad.

That has shifted the battlefield closer to the more prosperous south and capital Bamako, raising concerns for the security of a presidential election expected between July and November.

In a separate incident, the Malian military said its forces came under attack in the town of Youwarou, also near Mopti, but that they had repelled it.

“They neutralized seven terrorists and recovered equipment abandoned by the assailants,” it said in a statement.

Mali and its western neighbor Senegal plan to deploy 1,000 troops soon in an operation to pacify central Mali and contain jihadists who had previously been confined to its Saharan expanses in the north.

But analysts doubt they will be able to do so purely through military means. The Islamists exploit the grievances of Fulani cattle herders and their disputes with local farmers over access to grazing lands.

Periodic crackdowns on suspected jihadists have therefore tended to target the Fulani, driving some of them into the militants’ arms. </s> West Africa’s arid Sahel region is suffering a spike in violence by militant groups, some with links to ‘al Qaeda’ and ‘Daesh’, that is drawing an increasingly aggressive response from countries including France and the United States.

The military camp in the town of Soumpi, near the southern boundary of Mali’s Timbuktu region, came under attack at around 6 a.m. (0600 GMT).

“The provisional toll is 14 dead, 17 wounded and two enemies killed. The search is still on for those missing,” one of the sources said.

The second source said “around 15” soldiers had been killed.

“The soldiers abandoned their position. The enemy carried away material,” he said.

Both sources asked not to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

A landmine explosion blew up a civilian passenger vehicle near the central Mali village of Boni on Thursday, killing 26 people and wounding several others. </s> At least 23 civilians have been killed in attacks on villages in troubled central Mopti region of Mali by armed men, a local mayor and a Malian security source said on Monday.

"During Sunday, and overnight, in the villages of Bidi, Sankoro and Saran, armed men attacked civilians, killing 23 of them," Cheick Harouna Sankare, mayor of the neighboring town of Ouenkoro, told AFP.

"The situation is serious, the army needs to act to reassure the population," he said, adding that an emergency meeting had been called.

The death toll was confirmed to the AFP by a security source in Mali.

Local media outlets reported that the attackers were dressed as members of the Dogon group.

Sankara said the attackers headed to the Bidi village after the attack in Saran but some 300 residents had already been evacuated, Anadolu Agency reported.

Separately, 11 people died when an explosive device blew up near the central town of Koro close to the border with Burkina Faso, a local official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Ethnic tensions in the center of the country have surged since an extremist group led by preacher Amadou Koufa emerged in 2015.

The group recruit mainly from among the Fulani -- primarily cattle breeders and traders -- and they have clashed with the Dogon and Bambara -- traditionally sedentary farmers who have formed their own self-defense militias.

There has been a wave of mass killings this year, including the massacre of 41 people in two ethnic Dogon villages on June 17, according to a U.N. count.

And in March, 160 Fulani were killed in an attack on a village by suspected rival militiamen.

Unrest in the central region coincides with an ongoing terrorist campaign that the Mali government is struggling to contain despite 4,000 troops deployed by France under Operation Barkhane and the 15,000-strong Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) peacekeeping force of the U.N.

Separately, unidentified gunmen have killed 16 soldiers in an attack on a military camp in western Niger near the border with Mali, local residents and security sources said on Tuesday.

The raid occurred on Monday afternoon near the town of Inates, where militants are active, and in the same region where an ambush by Daesh's West African branch killed 28 soldiers in May.

Bandits on motorbikes carried out the assault with "two car bombs," a source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The volatile region is a major base where Nigerien soldiers are trained to serve in the MINUSMA region.

Niger hosts the African Union summit from July 6-9 less than 200 kilometers (125 miles) away in the capital Niamey. In the run-up, the European Union has been training Nigerien forces to respond to militant attacks.

Zakari Insa, the brother of one of the soldiers killed in Monday's attack, and Souley Marou, a local villager, both said 16 soldiers had died.

Two security sources confirmed the death toll, and one of them said about a dozen vehicles had been stolen. Terrorists have previously launched attacks using vehicles stolen in previous raids.

An army spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.

Security has deteriorated in recent months across West Africa's Sahel region, a semi-arid strip of land south of the Sahara.

Militants loyal to Adnan Abu Waleed al-Sahrawi, the leader of Daesh in the Greater Sahara, operate along Mali's border with Burkina Faso and Niger.

Various insurgent groups operate in Niger's west and north, while Nigeria's Boko Haram is present in the southeast.

The country is part of the so-called G5 Sahel group set up to manage a coordinated response to the terrorist insurgency.

The U.S. has a big base for drones in the northern city of Agadez and Niger recently gave the Americans permission to arm their drones.

The French also have a military base near Niamey airport and another at Madama in the north.

Earlier this month, 18 Daesh terrorists were killed in a joint operation by U.S., French and Niger troops in the same area.

In 2017, they killed four members of U.S. Special Forces and four Nigerien soldiers in an ambush near the village of Tongo Tongo.
Thirteen civilians travelling from Burkina Faso are killed after their vehicle struck a landmine near the village of Boni in Mali's Mopti Region.