Mali’s army says that it has killed 203 militants in an operation in the centre of Sahel state, in an uptick in violence in the conflict-torn country.
The army said on Friday the nine-day military operation beginning on 23 March took place in Sahel’s Moura area – which it termed a “terrorist fiefdom”.
The announcement comes as numerous social media reports in Mali this week alleged that dozens of people, including civilians, had been killed in Moura.
But the army’s statement said that soldiers killed 203 militants, arrested 51 people and seized large quantities of weapons.
AFP was unable to verify the army’s claimed death toll or the social media reports.
Poor access to Mali’s conflict areas and a relative lack of independent information sources means that figures provided by either the government or armed groups are difficult to confirm.
An impoverished nation of about 21 million people, Mali has struggled to contain a jihadist insurgency that emerged in 2012, before spreading to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.
Vast swathes of the country are myriad rebel groups and militias, and thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed in the conflict.
Mali’s under-equipped army has also often been accused of committing abuses during the conflict.
According to a report seen by AFP, UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently warned the UN security council that Mali’s counter-terrorism efforts had “disastrous consequences for the civilian population”.
In its statement Friday, Mali’s army said it was guided by human rights and international law, and called for “restraint against defamatory speculations”.
The country has seen an apparent uptick in violence in recent weeks. The UN said on Friday that thousands of people fleeing fighting in Mali have arrived in Niger.
A day earlier, the UN peacekeeping mission, known as Minusma, said that security had “deteriorated considerably” in the border area with Burkina Faso and Niger.
more to follow……