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This article is more than 2 years old

A suicide bomber in a vehicle full of explosives has attacked a camp in northern Mali, killing at least 50 people and wounding dozens of soldiers and former fighters.

The struggle for Mali | Jack Watling and Paul Raymond Read more

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but suspicion quickly fell on Islamic extremist groups operating in the area. The attack marks a significant setback for efforts to achieve peace in the region.

The blast hit the joint operational mechanism base in the city of Gao, home to Malian soldiers and hundreds of former fighters who had signed a peace agreement with the government. Dismembered bodies could still be seen two hours after the blast.

The death toll rose over the course of Wednesday morning and had reached more than 50 by 1.30pm local time (1330 GMT), a military official said.

Sadou Maiga, a doctor at Gao’s hospital, said all other hospital activities had ceased as medical staff focused on the dozens of wounded blast victims arriving.

“Some have died from their wounds, and others are in a very grave state,” he said. “At this point, it’s not the toll of dead and injured that interests me, it’s saving who I can.”

Witnesses said the car bearing explosives breached the camp at about 9am as hundreds of fighters were gathering for a meeting. The bomber “succeeded in tricking soldiers’ vigilance” and penetrated the camp, said army spokesman Col Diarran Kone.

The attack underscores the enormous challenges that remain in northern Mali four years after the French military led an intervention to drive jihadis from power in the major towns across the north. The peace agreement has proved difficult to implement and unpopular with the forces wreaking havoc in the region.

The former fighters who signed the 2015 peace deal include ethnic Tuareg secular rebels who once fought the Malian military. Now they are supposed to be forming joint patrols in the area, though the programme has yet to begin.

Mali has become the world’s deadliest United Nations peacekeeping mission. Twenty-nine UN personnel were killed last year in attacks blamed on armed jihadi groups, according to a Human Rights Watch report released on Wednesday.

The report details how extremists are extending their reach further into central Mali, trying to implement their strict interpretation of sharia law and pressuring families to give up their children as soldiers for the cause.

It also denounces rising levels of banditry, a phenomenon victims say is fuelled by the slow implementation of the 2015 peace accord.

Mali’s security minister, Salif Traoré, declined to respond to the report’s specifics but said he was well aware of security challenges throughout the region.</s>At least 33 people were killed and dozens injured on Wednesday when a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives near a military camp in Mali’s northern city of Gao, witnesses and a United Nations peacekeeping source said.

A Reuters reporter who arrived at the camp soon after the blast, which occurred at about 9 a.m. (0900 GMT), said he saw dozens of bodies lying on the ground alongside the wounded.

Ambulances rushed to the scene as helicopters circled overhead.

“It’s terrible,” Gao resident Kader Touré said. “The attack happened while they were having an assembly. I’ve just left the hospital where there were bodies ripped to pieces and bodies piled up.”

The army put the provisional toll at 25 but a source in the U.N. MINUSMA peacekeeping force said at least 33 were killed.

The camp was home to government soldiers and members of various rival armed groups which jointly patrol Mali’s restive desert north in line with a U.N.-brokered peace accord.

A French-led military intervention in 2013 drove back Islamist militants, including al Qaeda-linked groups, which had seized northern Mali a year earlier.

However, Islamist militants still operate in the region and insecurity is aggravated by tensions between local rebel groups and pro-government militias.

French interior minister Bruno Le Roux described the blast as a “major and highly symbolic attack” in an area visited only days ago by French President Francois Hollande.</s>Mali attack: Suicide blast kills more than 40 in Gao military camp

Militants have killed at least 42 people and injured more than 100 others after detonating an explosives-laden vehicle inside a military camp in Mali's northern city of Gao, the deadliest suicide bomb attack in the country's history.

The attack struck at the heart of still fragile efforts by the Government and rival armed groups to work together to quell the violence that has plagued the restive desert north for years.

The bombers forced their way into the camp shortly before 9:00am local time, running over several people before blowing up the vehicle just as 600 soldiers were assembling, said Radhia Achouri, a spokesperson from Mali's UN peacekeeping force MINUSMA.

"I've just left the hospital where there were bodies ripped to pieces and wounded piled up," said Gao resident Kader Toure.

Al Mourabitoun, a group linked to Al Qaeda's North African affiliate, claimed responsibility for the attack.

State media put the death toll at 47, including five suicide bombers and army spokesperson Diarran Kone said 115 people were injured.

The camp housed government soldiers and members of rival armed groups who were due soon to begin conducting joint patrols under a UN-brokered peace deal aimed at easing local tensions so the Government could focus on fighting Islamist militants.

A French-led military intervention in 2013 drove back insurgent groups, some with links to Al Qaeda, that had seized northern Mali a year earlier.

But Islamist militants still operate in the region and conduct frequent attacks.

"The significance of this attack is that it strikes at the very heart of the Algiers peace agreement," said Sean Smith, a West Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, referring to the UN-brokered accord.

French Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux described the blast as a "highly symbolic attack" in an area visited only days ago by President Francois Hollande.

"This attack does fit into the idea that Islamists would attack anyone who works with the Government," a diplomat said.

Gao is a dusty town of 50,000 people on the banks of the Niger river.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali is the world's most dangerous to be a part of, and its offices in Gao were flattened by a truck bomb in December.

In addition to the 13,000-strong UN force, France also has troops in the region.</s>Suicide blast kills more than 40 in northern Mali military camp

GAO, Mali, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Militants killed at least 42 people and wounded more than 100 others when they detonated an explosives-laden vehicle inside a military camp in Mali's northern city of Gao on Wednesday, the deadliest suicide bomb attack in the country's history.

The attack struck at the heart of still fragile efforts by the government and rival armed groups to work together to quell the violence that has plagued the restive desert north for years.

The bombers forced their way into the camp shortly before 9 a.m. (0900 GMT), running over several people before blowing up the vehicle just as 600 soldiers were assembling, said Radhia Achouri, a spokeswoman Mali's U.N. peacekeeping force MINUSMA.

A Reuters reporter at the site soon after the blast saw dozens of bodies lying on the ground alongside the wounded as ambulances rushed to the camp and helicopters circled overhead.

"I've just left the hospital where there were bodies ripped to pieces and wounded piled up," said Gao resident Kader Toure.

State media put the death toll at 47, including five suicide bombers, and army spokesman Diarran Kone said that 115 people were also wounded.

For a graphic of where the attack took place: http://tmsnrt.rs/2jnRR7P

The camp housed government soldiers and members of rival armed groups who were due soon to begin conducting joint patrols under a U.N.-brokered peace deal aimed at easing local tensions so the government could focus on fighting Islamist militants.

A French-led military intervention in 2013 drove back insurgent groups, some with links to al Qaeda, that had seized northern Mali a year earlier.

But Islamist militants still operate in the region and conduct frequent attacks.

"The significance of this attack is that it strikes at the very heart of the Algiers peace agreement," said Sean Smith, a West Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, referring to the U.N.-brokered accord.

French interior minister Bruno Le Roux described the blast as a "highly symbolic attack" in an area visited only days ago by President Francois Hollande.

"This attack does fit into the idea that Islamists would attack anyone who works with the government," a diplomat told Reuters.

Gao is a dusty town of 50,000 people on the banks of the Niger river. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali is the world's most dangerous, and its offices in Gao were flattened by a truck bomb in December.

In addition to the 13,000-strong U.N. force, France also has troops in the region.

Before Wednesday's blast, the worst militant attack on the former French colony was a November 2015 assault by jihadist gunmen on a Radisson hotel in the capital, Bamako, in which 20 people were killed.</s>Death toll rises to 33 in car bomb attack at Mali army camp

GAO, Mali, Jan 18 (Reuters) - At least 33 people were killed and dozens injured on Wednesday when a vehicle packed with explosives detonated at a military camp in Mali's northern city of Gao, a source from the United Nations' MINUSMA peacekeeping mission said.

The camp was home to government soldiers and members of various rival armed groups that conduct joint patrols in line with a U.N.-brokered peace accord aimed at quelling violence in Mali's restive desert north.</s>In Mali: 47 killed in suicide bombing at military camp

The army confirmed the death toll and said 115 people had also been injured. About 30 of them were reported to be in critical condition.

A suicide car bombing killed 47 people at a military camp in the northern Malian city of Gao on Wednesday, government spokesperson Mountaga Tall said.

The statement said the death toll included five suicide bombers.

The army confirmed the death toll and said 115 people had also been injured. About 30 of them were reported to be in critical condition.

A vehicle loaded with explosives blew up just as troops had gathered together, said Abdedoula El Kader Toure from the vigilante group Association des Jeunes Patriotes de Gao.

The vehicle was painted with army colours to allow it to pass unnoticed by security guards, according to army sources.

“The hospital is full and dismembered corpses can be seen everywhere’’, local resident Arboncana Maiga said.

The Malian presidency said on Twitter that Defence Minister Abdoulaye Maiga was travelling to Gao and that the government had decreed three days of mourning.

The military camp houses government soldiers and members of armed groups, who stage joint patrols in the framework of a 2015 peace agreement.

A French military intervention in January 2013 turned back a jihadist and separatist insurgency in Mali’s north, but various Islamist groups still stage attacks.

French President Francois Hollande, who attended a Franco-African summit in Mali’s capital Bamako on Saturday, condemned the attack and reiterated France’s support in implementing peace and reconciliation agreements in Mali.

The German Foreign Ministry said the attack was aimed at sabotaging the peace process in Mali.

This post was syndicated from pulse.ng - Nigeria's entertainment & lifestyle platform online. Click here to read the full text on the original website.

Also, Like us on facebook</s>GAO, Mali -The death toll in northern Mali attack has raised above 50, with more than 100 wounded, according to the military.

This comes after a vehicle packed with explosives targeted a camp housing armed groups in northern Mali.

 

A local official says this morning's blast hit the Joint Operational Mechanism base in the city of Gao.

 

The base houses hundreds of fighters including members of armed groups that signed Mali's 2015 peace agreement.

 

The camp also houses Malian soldiers.</s>A suicide car bombing killed 47 people at a military camp in the northern Malian city of Gao on Wednesday, government spokesperson Mountaga Tall said.

The statement said the death toll included five suicide bombers.

The army confirmed the death toll and said 115 people had also been injured. About 30 of them were reported to be in critical condition.

A vehicle loaded with explosives blew up just as troops had gathered together, said Abdedoula El Kader Toure from the vigilante group Association des Jeunes Patriotes de Gao.

The vehicle was painted with army colours to allow it to pass unnoticed by security guards, according to army sources.

“The hospital is full and dismembered corpses can be seen everywhere’’, local resident Arboncana Maiga said.

The Malian presidency said on Twitter that Defence Minister Abdoulaye Maiga was travelling to Gao and that the government had decreed three days of mourning.

The military camp houses government soldiers and members of armed groups, who stage joint patrols in the framework of a 2015 peace agreement.

A French military intervention in January 2013 turned back a jihadist and separatist insurgency in Mali’s north, but various Islamist groups still stage attacks.

French President Francois Hollande, who attended a Franco-African summit in Mali’s capital Bamako on Saturday, condemned the attack and reiterated France’s support in implementing peace and reconciliation agreements in Mali.

The German Foreign Ministry said the attack was aimed at sabotaging the peace process in Mali.</s>Militants killed at least 42 people and wounded more than 100 others when they detonated an explosives-laden vehicle inside a military camp in Mali’s northern city of Gao on Wednesday, the deadliest suicide bomb attack in the country’s history.

The attack struck at the heart of still fragile efforts by the government and rival armed groups to work together to quell the violence that has plagued the restive desert north for years.

The bombers forced their way into the camp shortly before 9 a.m. (0900 GMT), running over several people before blowing up the vehicle just as 600 soldiers were assembling, said Radhia Achouri, a spokeswoman Mali’s U.N. peacekeeping force MINUSMA.

A Reuters reporter at the site soon after the blast saw dozens of bodies lying on the ground alongside the wounded as ambulances rushed to the camp and helicopters circled overhead.

“I’ve just left the hospital where there were bodies ripped to pieces and wounded piled up,” said Gao resident Kader Toure.

State media put the death toll at 47, including five suicide bombers, and army spokesman Diarran Kone said that 115 people were also wounded.</s>BAMAKO: Twenty-five people were killed and others were injured when a vehicle packed with explosives detonated on Wednesday at a military camp in Mali´s northern city of Gao, according to a provisional death toll announced by the army.

The camp was housing government soldiers as well as members of various rival armed groups, who together conduct mixed

patrols in line with a UN-brokered peace accord aimed at quelling violence in Mali´s restive desert north.

This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly
A suicide bomber detonates a vehicle full of explosives at a military camp in Gao, Mali, killing at least 76 people and wounding scores more in Mali's deadliest terrorist attack in history.