Unknown gunmen have killed around 40 people in an attack on a village in insurgency-torn central Mali, local officials say.
The attack took place on Monday in the village of Djiguibombo in the Mopti region – one of several regions in northern and central Mali where jihadist groups with links to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have been active for over a decade.
“It was a very serious attack, armed men surrounded the village and shot at the people,” said Bankass Mayor Moulaye Guindo.
He could not provide an exact death toll, but two local officials who asked not to be identified said around 40 people had been killed.
“It was a bloodbath, they surrounded the village where a wedding was taking place… There was panic, some managed to escape, but many others were killed, most of them men,” said one of the officials.
The identities of the attackers have not been disclosed and no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
The army spokesman could not be reached for comment.
Since the uprisings took hold in Mali and spread to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, violence has escalated in West Africa’s central Sahel region, killing thousands and forcing millions more to flee their homes.
Insecurity has contributed to two coup attempts in Mali, one in Burkina Faso and one in Niger since 2020.