At least 48 civilians killed in eastern Mali by Islamic State-linked terrorists: Report

Islamic State-linked militants have killed at least 48 people in Mali's eastern Menaka region, in what appears to be retaliation for abuses allegedly committed by pro-government forces, two security sources and two local officials told new agency Reuters.

The attacks, carried out by terrorists from Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), struck at least five localities on Sunday (Oct 18). The overall toll was still being determined on Tuesday (Oct 20), with the four sources, who requested Reuters anonymity for fear of reprisals from Mali's government, putting provisional figures between 48 and more than 70. Some victims died in fires set by the attackers, while others were shot. The terrorists also stole livestock, and hundreds of civilians fled to Menaka town. ISSP has not claimed responsibility.

According to the report, the violence followed an incident the previous week in which the MSA, a pro-government group, and Russia's Africa Corps, the paramilitary group backing Bamako, allegedly targeted civilians suspected of informing for Islamic State. A municipal official in Menaka said the MSA was accompanying Mali's army, and Africa Corps abused civilians, killing about a dozen people, burning homes and looting property.

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A Malian military spokesperson and Russia's embassy in Bamako did not respond to requests for comment. Mali has previously denied killing civilians during counterinsurgency operations.

The weekend violence comes as fighting intensifies between regional Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliates, deepening instability across the Sahel. Last week, ISSP said it had killed 400 from Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), the regional al Qaeda affiliate, after foiling an attempted ambush in neighbouring Burkina Faso. If confirmed, that would be the deadliest single battle between the two groups. The two sides first clashed in 2019 and have fought hundreds of times since, leaving more than 2,000 dead, according to the monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data.

Mali has been battling insurgents since 2012, when Tuareg separatists and al Qaeda-linked terrorists swept across the north, prompting a French military intervention. In April, JNIM and the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front launched nationwide attacks that killed the defence minister and struck the main airport in Bamako.