India strongly condemns Aug 19 terror attack on Mali Armed Forces that killed 15 soldiers

The Ministry of External Affairs has released a statement on the terrorist attack that took place in Mali on August 19, Thursday. The statement said that India strongly condemns the terrorist attack on a convoy of the Malian Armed Forces on August 19, 2021, in the Mopti region of Mali that resulted in the killing of 15 Malian soldiers. It further said, “We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the soldiers as well as the people, and the Government of Mali and wish for the speedy recovery of all the other injured soldiers.”

India strongly condemns the terrorist attack on Mali soldiers

As per reports, on August 19, a bunch of gunmen ambushed a Malian army convoy in central Mali. This ambush killed at least 15 soldiers. The official account of the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) had posted a tweet on the same day that translated to, “A convoy #FAMa was ambushed today, August 19, 2021, late in the morning. It was 12:45 pm when a vehicle bomb first exploded as it passed, followed by heavy gunfire on the convoy.” On the day of the attack, the soldiers had been heading from the town of Douentza to Boni. This is when they came under attack by a vehicle that exploded as it passed. A military statement said that intense gunfire followed soon after that. Although no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, it reportedly bears the markings of armed organisations affiliated with al-Qaeda that has been active in the region for years. In 2012, Islamic terrorists had seized control of several towns in northern Mali.

51 people killed in Mali in another terrorist attack earlier 

The incident has left people reeling, as it took place just a few days after another attack that occurred in the country on the northern left side. That attack had killed several dozen civilians as reported on August 9. As per the reports, 51 people had been killed in the incident during which terrorists torched homes after storming the villages on motorbikes. Following this, an army patrol from the Malian military had been sent to the regions that faced this violence, which confirmed the number of deaths. Islamic terrorists have continued to carry out deadly attacks, with reportedly hundreds of people killed this year in a series of murders near Mali's border with Niger and in other regions of Africa as well.

(IMAGE: AP)