Mali: Islamic State claims responsibility for fatal March 15 attack on Malian soldiers in Gao Region /update 1

Event

The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for killing at least 33 soldiers and wounding an additional 14 in a March 15 ambush on a Malian military convoy near Tessit in the Gao Region. The group has also claimed it captured several pieces of weaponry and equipment. The incident underscores the pervasive insecurity and threat of militancy across much of Mali, including the Gao Region. Efforts by local and foreign militaries to reduce the spread of militant violence have largely failed.