At least 23 people have been killed and 300 missing after an attack on Sunday on a village of Fulani herders in central Mali where communal violence has surged in recent months, a local mayor said.

Two other Fulani communities were targeted on Sunday evening amid a string of deadly assaults between herders and ethnic Dogon farmers who have long fought over land and resources but whose rivalry has been stoked this year by the growing presence of armed groups.

"During Sunday, and overnight, in the villages of Bidi, Sankoro and Saran, armed men attacked civilians, killing 23 of them," Cheick Harouna Sankare, mayor of the neighbouring town of Ouenkoro, told AFP news agency.

"The situation is serious, the army needs to act to reassure the population," he said, adding that an emergency meeting had been called.

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's government has vowed to disarm the militias but has struggled to do so.

Tit-for-tat violence between rival communities escalated this year. In March, suspected Dogon militiamen killed more than 150 Fulani in central Mali, one of the worst acts of bloodshed in the country's recent history. Raids on Dogon villages in June killed over 40 people.

Instability is fuelled further by the presence of armed groups, who use northern and central Mali as launchpads to stage attacks across the Sahel.

Elsewhere in central Mali, 12 civilians including a baby were killed on Sunday when the vehicle they were travelling in hit a landmine.

Local mayor Issiaka Ganame said none of the passengers survived. It was not clear who laid the mine, but armed groups are known to deploy this kind of ordnance in the region.

Unrest in the central region coincides with an ongoing campaign the Mali government is struggling to contain despite military help from France and the United Nations. </s> At least 23 people have been killed and 300 missing after an attack on Sunday on a village of Fulani herders in central Mali where communal violence has surged in recent months, a local mayor said.

Two other Fulani communities were targeted on Sunday evening amid a string of deadly assaults between herders and ethnic Dogon farmers who have long fought over land and resources but whose rivalry has been stoked this year by the growing presence of armed groups.

"During Sunday, and overnight, in the villages of Bidi, Sankoro and Saran, armed men attacked civilians, killing 23 of them," Cheick Harouna Sankare, mayor of the neighbouring town of Ouenkoro, told AFP news agency.

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"The situation is serious, the army needs to act to reassure the population," he said, adding that an emergency meeting had been called.

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's government has vowed to disarm the militias but has struggled to do so.

Tit-for-tat violence between rival communities escalated this year. In March, suspected Dogon militiamen killed more than 150 Fulani in central Mali, one of the worst acts of bloodshed in the country's recent history. Raids on Dogon villages in June killed over 40 people.

Instability is fuelled further by the presence of armed groups, who use northern and central Mali as launchpads to stage attacks across the Sahel.

Elsewhere in central Mali, 12 civilians including a baby were killed on Sunday when the vehicle they were travelling in hit a landmine.

Local mayor Issiaka Ganame said none of the passengers survived. It was not clear who laid the mine, but armed groups are known to deploy this kind of ordnance in the region.

Unrest in the central region coincides with an ongoing campaign the Mali government is struggling to contain despite military help from France and the United Nations. </s> BAMAKO (Reuters) - At least 23 people are dead and 300 missing after an attack on Sunday on a village of Fulani herders in central Mali where communal violence has surged in recent months, a local mayor said.

Two other Fulani communities were targeted on Sunday evening, amid a string of deadly assaults between herders and ethnic Dogon farmers who have long fought over land and resources but whose rivalry has been stoked this year by the growing presence of armed Islamist groups.

After raiding the village of Saran, the attackers went on to another village called Bidi, but people had already fled, said Harouna Sankare, mayor of nearby Ouenkoro, who blamed the attack on Dogon hunters.

“Since they didn’t find anybody (in Bidi), they burned the village and the houses and attacked the cattle,” he said.

Other local officials confirmed the attack but did not share the number of casualties. Neither the central authorities nor the army were reachable for comment.

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s government has vowed to disarm the militias but has struggled to do so.

Tit-for-tat violence between the rival communities has escalated this year. In March, suspected Dogon militiamen killed more than 150 Fulani in central Mali, one of the worst acts of bloodshed in the country’s recent history. Raids on Dogon villages in June killed over 40 people.

Instability is fueled further by the presence of jihadist militants, who use northern and central Mali as launchpads to stage attacks across the Sahel.

Elsewhere in central Mali, 12 civilians including a baby were killed on Sunday when the vehicle they were traveling in hit a landmine. Local mayor Issiaka Ganame said none of the passengers survived. It was not clear who laid the mine, but jihadist groups are known to deploy this kind of ordnance in the region. </s> At least 23 civilians were killed in central Mali after armed men attacked three Fulani communities, a local mayor and security forces said Monday.

Reuters news agency also reported that some 300 people were missing following the attacks.

"During Sunday, and overnight, in the villages of Bidi, Sankoro and Saran, armed men attacked civilians, killing 23 of them," Cheick Harouna Sankare, mayor of the neighboring town of Ouenkoro.

After raiding the village of Saran, the attackers went on to Bidi, but people had already fled, said Harouna Sankare, who blamed the attack on Dogon hunters.

"Since they didn't find anybody [in Bidi], they burned the village and the houses and attacked the cattle," he said.

The attacks come following a wave of deadly assaults between Fulani herders and Dogon farmers who have long fought over land and resources.

The rivalry has escalated in recent years due to the growing presence of armed Islamist groups.

Read more: Mali: 'Worse than anything we’ve seen in living memory'

President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's government has promised to disarm the militias but has so far struggled to do so.

Tit-for-tat violence between the rival communities has increased this year. In March, suspected Dogon militiamen killed more than 150 Fulani in central Mali in one of the most violent attacks in the country's recent history. Raids on Dogon villages in June killed over 40 people.

Read more: Mali's security crisis: A cycle of exploitation and corruption

In other parts of central Mali, 12 civilians including a baby were killed on Sunday when the vehicle they were traveling in struck a landmine. Local mayor Issiaka Ganame told Reuters news agency that none of the passengers survived.

It was not clear who laid the mine, but jihadist groups have been known to deploy this kind of ordnance in the region.

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. </s> Twenty-four people including mothers and babies were killed Thursday when their vehicle ran over a landmine in central Mali, local residents said.

The deaths brought the number of fatalities linked to Mali's terrorist insurgency to 33 in 24 hours, most of them civilians.

The victims had been traveling from neighboring Burkina Faso for a weekly market in Boni, local officials said.

The blast occurred nine kilometers (five miles) from the town.

"The final toll is 24, including four babies with their mothers. There are no survivors," said Boni resident Abdoulaye Cheick, who described himself as a relative of one of the dead.

 Local officials had earlier given a provisional toll of 13 dead, made up of civilians from Mali and Burkina Faso.

"Terrorists use these mines to spread fear," a Malian security source said, adding that the victims had been killed instantly.

Another unnamed local official said that the vehicle was carrying seven traders from Burkina Faso as well as Malians.

In November, five civilians including a teenage girl were killed when the bus they were traveling on struck a mine. No group claimed responsibility for that incident.

Militants linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

In June 2015, Mali's government signed a peace agreement with coalitions of armed groups. But insurgents remain active, and large tracts of the country are lawless.

In a separate development, a Malian army source said five "terrorists" and two soldiers were killed Thursday when a security post came under attack in Youwarou, in the center of the country.

Another attack, at Ngomakoura, also in central Mali, was repelled and there were no casualties, the source said. Thirty-six gendarmes stationed in Ngomakoura deserted last week and face a court martial in Bamako.

On Wednesday, security sources said two customs officers were killed in a suspected terrorist attack at a market in the small village of Toubakoro, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of the capital.

Mali is one of a string of poor, fragile nations in the Sahel region that have been battered by terror attacks.

The country has joined with Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso in the so-called "G5 Sahel" initiative, pooling military efforts to fight the militant groups.

Backed by France, the joint force has been focusing in its early operations on re-establishing control in lawless frontier regions where terrorist groups have been able to flourish.

On the political front, the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a French-drafted statement giving parties to the 2015 peace deal until the end of March to show progress or face sanctions.

The council said there was a "pressing need to deliver tangible and visible peace dividends to the population in the North and other parts of Mali" ahead of elections scheduled for this year. </s> Twenty-four people including mothers and babies were killed Thursday when their vehicle ran over a landmine in central Mali, local residents said.

The deaths brought the number of fatalities linked to Mali's terrorist insurgency to 33 in 24 hours, most of them civilians.

The victims had been traveling from neighboring Burkina Faso for a weekly market in Boni, local officials said.

The blast occurred nine kilometers (five miles) from the town.

"The final toll is 24, including four babies with their mothers. There are no survivors," said Boni resident Abdoulaye Cheick, who described himself as a relative of one of the dead.

Local officials had earlier given a provisional toll of 13 dead, made up of civilians from Mali and Burkina Faso.

"Terrorists use these mines to spread fear," a Malian security source said, adding that the victims had been killed instantly.

Another unnamed local official said that the vehicle was carrying seven traders from Burkina Faso as well as Malians.

In November, five civilians including a teenage girl were killed when the bus they were traveling on struck a mine. No group claimed responsibility for that incident.

Militants linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

In June 2015, Mali's government signed a peace agreement with coalitions of armed groups. But insurgents remain active, and large tracts of the country are lawless.

In a separate development, a Malian army source said five "terrorists" and two soldiers were killed Thursday when a security post came under attack in Youwarou, in the center of the country.

Another attack, at Ngomakoura, also in central Mali, was repelled and there were no casualties, the source said. Thirty-six gendarmes stationed in Ngomakoura deserted last week and face a court martial in Bamako.

On Wednesday, security sources said two customs officers were killed in a suspected terrorist attack at a market in the small village of Toubakoro, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of the capital.

Mali is one of a string of poor, fragile nations in the Sahel region that have been battered by terror attacks.

The country has joined with Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso in the so-called "G5 Sahel" initiative, pooling military efforts to fight the militant groups.

Backed by France, the joint force has been focusing in its early operations on re-establishing control in lawless frontier regions where terrorist groups have been able to flourish.

On the political front, the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a French-drafted statement giving parties to the 2015 peace deal until the end of March to show progress or face sanctions.

The council said there was a "pressing need to deliver tangible and visible peace dividends to the population in the North and other parts of Mali" ahead of elections scheduled for this year. </s> Twenty-four people including mothers and babies were killed on Thursday when their vehicle ran over a landmine in central Mali, local residents said.

The deaths brought the number of fatalities linked to Mali's jihadist insurgency to 33 in 24 hours, most of them civilians.

The victims had been travelling from neighbouring Burkina Faso for a weekly market in Boni, local officials said.

The blast occurred nine kilometres (five miles) from the town.

"The final toll is 24, including four babies with their mothers. There are no survivors," said Boni resident Abdoulaye Cheick, who described himself as a relative of one of the dead.

Local officials had earlier given a provisional toll of 13 dead, made up of civilians from Mali and Burkina Faso.

"Terrorists use these mines to spread fear," a Malian security source said, adding that the victims had been killed instantly.

Another unnamed local official said that the vehicle was carrying seven traders from Burkina Faso as well as Malians.

In November, five civilians including a teenage girl were killed when the bus they were travelling on struck a mine. No group claimed responsibility for that incident.

Islamic extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

In June 2015, Mali's government signed a peace agreement with coalitions of armed groups. But insurgents remain active, and large tracts of the country are lawless.

In a separate development, a Malian army source said five "terrorists" and two soldiers were killed Thursday when a security post came under attack in Youwarou, in the centre of the country.

Another attack, at Ngomakoura, also in central Mali, was repelled and there were no casualties, the source said. Thirty-six gendarmes stationed in Ngomakoura deserted last week and face a court martial in Bamako.

On Wednesday, security sources said two customs officers were killed in a suspected jihadist attack at a market in the small village of Toubakoro, some 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of the capital.

Mali is one of a string of poor, fragile nations in the Sahel region that have been battered by terror attacks.

The country has joined with Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso in the so-called "G5 Sahel" initiative, pooling military efforts to fight the jihadists.

Backed by France, the joint force has been focusing in its early operations on re-establishing control in lawless frontier regions where terror groups have been able to flourish.

On the political front, the UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a French-drafted statement giving parties to the 2015 peace deal until the end of March to show progress or face sanctions.

The council said there was a "pressing need to deliver tangible and visible peace dividends to the population in the North and other parts of Mali" ahead of elections scheduled for this year. </s> Twenty-four people including mothers and babies were killed on Thursday when their vehicle ran over a landmine in central Mali, local residents said.

The deaths brought the number of fatalities linked to Mali’s jihadist insurgency to 33 in 24 hours, most of them civilians.

The victims had been travelling from neighbouring Burkina Faso for a weekly market in Boni, local officials said.

The blast occurred nine kilometres (five miles) from the town.

“The final toll is 24, including four babies with their mothers. There are no survivors,” said Boni resident Abdoulaye Cheick, who described himself as a relative of one of the dead.

Local officials had earlier given a provisional toll of 13 dead, made up of civilians from Mali and Burkina Faso.

“Terrorists use these mines to spread fear,” a Malian security source said, adding that the victims had been killed instantly.

Another unnamed local official said that the vehicle was carrying seven traders from Burkina Faso as well as Malians.

In November, five civilians including a teenage girl were killed when the bus they were travelling on struck a mine. No group claimed responsibility for that incident.

Islamic extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

In June 2015, Mali’s government signed a peace agreement with coalitions of armed groups. But insurgents remain active, and large tracts of the country are lawless.

In a separate development, a Malian army source said five “terrorists” and two soldiers were killed Thursday when a security post came under attack in Youwarou, in the centre of the country.

Another attack, at Ngomakoura, also in central Mali, was repelled and there were no casualties, the source said. Thirty-six gendarmes stationed in Ngomakoura deserted last week and face a court martial in Bamako.

On Wednesday, security sources said two customs officers were killed in a suspected jihadist attack at a market in the small village of Toubakoro, some 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of the capital.

Mali is one of a string of poor, fragile nations in the Sahel region that have been battered by terror attacks.

The country has joined with Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso in the so-called “G5 Sahel” initiative, pooling military efforts to fight the jihadists.

Backed by France, the joint force has been focusing in its early operations on re-establishing control in lawless frontier regions where terror groups have been able to flourish.

On the political front, the UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a French-drafted statement giving parties to the 2015 peace deal until the end of March to show progress or face sanctions.

The council said there was a “pressing need to deliver tangible and visible peace dividends to the population in the North and other parts of Mali” ahead of elections scheduled for this year. </s> At least 15 security personnel and one civilian were killed Wednesday when Maoists triggered a landmine in Gadchiroli district on the day Maharashtra marked its foundation day. The attack took place around 12 hours after Maoists torched 36 vehicles of a road construction contractor nearby.

The Indian Express has learnt that the target was a Quick Response Team (QRT) from the Kurkheda police station sent to investigate the torching of the vehicles at a construction site on the National Highway in the area.

The 36 vehicles were set ablaze shortly after midnight and in the morning, the QRT team set out from Kurkheda in a private goods carrier and the landmine went off ahead of Dadapur. DIG Ankush Shinde denied the policemen were headed to the spot where the vehicles were torched. “They were going to the Purada police station,” he said.

Wednesday’s attack at Jambhukheda-Lendari village, which is 6 km from Kurkheda, the taluka headquarters, was the biggest after the March 2012 landmine blast in the district in which 15 CRPF personnel were killed. In 2009, 15 policemen were killed after Maoists surrounded and shot them down. Last year, 51 Maoists were killed in police operations in Gadchiroli district. Today’s incident is being seen as a counter-attack by the Maoists.

Security forces are not supposed to rush to the spot after such incidents as these have turned out to be Maoist traps on previous occasions. In 2009, 15 policemen were killed when they went to investigate the burning of vehicles at Markegaon in Dhanora tehsil. That was also the worst year for the police in Gadchiroli with 52 casualties.

Shinde said the spot where the vehicles had been set on fire and where the landmine was triggered, were 15-20 km apart. He estimated that the landmine contained 40 kg of explosives. Asked if the attack meant the Maoists had specific information on the police party travelling on that road in a private vehicle, Shinde said, “Maybe.”

While the landmine was possibly triggered by a single man deployed at the spot, Shinde said three Maoist militia formations were suspected to be behind the attack – the Kurkheda-Korchi-Khobramendha dalam, Tipagadh dalam, and Company 4.

Incidentally, on April 9, the day of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Maoists triggered explosives at the Gatta polling centre, after which the police increased the patrolling in the entire region. Gadchiroli recorded the highest turnout in Maharashtra at 72 per cent.

Calling the attack a “big loss” for the force, Maharashtra DGP Subodh Kumar Jaiswal said that the blast in Gadchiroli was not a result of intelligence failure. “I cannot call this an intelligence failure… The Maharashtra police will take whatever action needed against such activities. It is a big loss for Maharashtra police,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack and said that the perpetrators will not be spared. “I salute all the brave personnel. Their sacrifices will never be forgotten. My thoughts and solidarity are with the bereaved families. The perpetrators of such violence will not be spared,” he tweeted.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also expressed grief over the loss of lives. “Anguished to know that our 16 police personnel from Gadchiroli C-60 force got martyred in a cowardly attack by Naxals today. My thoughts and prayers are with the martyrs’ families. I’m in touch with DGP and Gadchiroli SP. I strongly condemn this attack and we will fight this menace with even more and stronger efforts,” he said on Twitter.

The driver of the private vehicle who died is Dadubhau Singhnath.
12 civilians including a baby were killed when the vehicle they were traveling in hit a landmine.