At least 11 civilians were killed on Thursday (October 13th) and 53 injured in central Mali when the bus carrying them hit an explosive device, a hospital source said. The explosion occurred in the early followingnoon on the road between Bandiagara and Goundaka, in the Mopti sector, according to a security source. The new assessment was confirmed by the town hall of Bandiagara.
“We have just transferred nine bodies to the referral health centre. And it’s not over “, had told Agence France-presse (AFP) Moussa Housseyni, of the Bandiagara youth association. The missing are all civilians, he said.
Forty-seven people were finally sent to the care center, according to the hospital source, who speaks of a total of 53 injured.
The jihadists’ weapon of choice
Central Mali is one of the hotbeds of violence and jihadist activity that spread from the north in 2012 and spilled over into neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.
Mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are one of the weapons of choice for jihadists. They explode on contact with a wheel or are operated remotely.
A report by the UN Mission in Mali (Minusma) as of August 31 counted 245 attacks on IEDs and mines in 2021 and 134 in 2022. Mines and IEDs killed 103 in 2021 and 72 in 2022, says The report. They mainly affect the Malian army and the Minusma. But a quarter of the victims are civilians, according to the report.