The General Staff of the Malian Armed Forces announced Tuesday evening that its air patrol had neutralized several dozen terrorists in the Mousafa area, in the Diéma circle of the Kayes region, western Mali.
Colonel Souleymane Dembelé, Director of Information and Public Relations of the Armed Forces (Dirpa), confirmed that the strike directly targeted a terrorist refuge, resulting in significant losses for the group.
For several days, the major roads of Kayes, Sikasso, and Nioro du Sahel, linking the Malian capital Bamako to Dakar in Senegal, had been blocked by an Al-Qaeda, affiliated terrorist group.
The terrorist group had also released a video claiming responsibility for the blockade and vowing to halt the transport of fuel into Mali through neighboring countries. In the same message, it threatened the Diarra transport company, accusing it of siding with the army.
Military authorities responded with a coordinated counteroffensive on September 6-7. According to Colonel Gilbert Diarra, troops acted on precise intelligence, backed by air support. He reported that several terrorists were eliminated, while hostages were rescued unharmed.
Local witnesses confirmed that traffic along the targeted roads resumed following the offensive.
