BAMAKO: Unidentified gunmen killed at least 14 soldiers in central Mali, an area targeted by a growing wave of attacks by Islamist militants, when they overran a military camp early on Saturday, two army officers said.The camp in the town of Soumpi, near the southern boundary of Mali's Timbuktu region, came under attack at around 6 a.m. (0600 GMT). The scrubland of West Africa's Sahel region has been the scene of growing militant violence over the past year, some perpetrated by groups with links to Islamic State and al Qaeda who roam the vast desert stretches and cross international borders often without detection. A group of around 30 heavily armed fighters attacked the military camp in Soumpi, located in the centre of the country near the southern boundary of Mali’s Timbuktu region, according to an army statement read on state radio. An official from a nearby community who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from jihadists confirms that 14 people were dead and 22 others wounded. >> Video: FRANCE 24 follows special forces fighting Sahel militants

A landmine explosion blew up a civilian passenger vehicle near the central Mali village of Boni on Thursday, killing 26 people and wounding several others.
Gunmen kill at least 14 soldiers at a military base in Soumpi, central Mali.