Unidentified gunmen early on Saturday overran a military camp near Mali’s ancient city of Tumbuktu, killing at least 14 soldiers and wounding 17 others, Reuters news agency reports.
Two of the militants were also killed in the gun battle that ensued.
“Around 6 a.m. (0600 GMT), unidentified armed men attacked the post in Soumpi. 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.
Local health authorities are reported to confirm that five of the wounded were transferred to the town of Niafunke for treatment.
No group has claimed responsibility of the attack, though al-Qaeda affiliated militant groups have in the past staged attacks in the country.
Islamic extremists took control of the desert in northern Mali back in 2012, however, were driven from the region a year later.
In 2015, the Malian authorities signed an agreement with non-jihadist militant groups, but the deal didn’t help a lot in stopping terrorist attacks in the country.
