Mali: Militants kill seven, injure at least 35 in attacks in Kidal and Mopti, April 2

Event

Unidentified militants killed at least seven security personnel in two attacks in Kidal and Mopti, April 2. Up to 35 other personnel were wounded in the incidents. The initial attack was reported at approximately 05:00 in Aguelhoc, Kidal; four members of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) were killed. Militants attacked the Chadian contingent of the MINUSMA force using rockets, car bombs, and fighters on motorbikes and other vehicles. In a separate incident, militants killed at least three Malian military personnel during an assault on a military position in Diafarabe near Tenenkou. There have been no claims of responsibility for the attacks.

Context

The assaults underscore the pervasive insecurity in central and northern Mali. Islamist militants or affiliated groups waging an insurgency in restive regions of the country almost certainly perpetrated the attacks. Hundreds of UN and other foreign security personnel have been killed in Mali since 2013. Despite continued security operations in affected areas, armed groups in these regions continue to demonstrate an increased capability to strike civilian and military targets, as well as peacekeeping forces. The security situation in the Mopti region is further undermined by local rivalries and sporadic communal violence between Dogon and Fulani communities, as well as issues such as lawlessness and banditry.