Attack on military in Mali leaves 53 personnel, 1 civilian dead

An attack on Mali's Armed Forces in the country's eastern Indelimane area left 53 servicemen and one civilian dead, the country's Communication Minister Yaya Sangare said on Saturday.

The attack took place on Friday. The Armed Forces wrote on Facebook earlier on Saturday that at least 35 servicemen had been killed.

"Following an attack on the Armed Forces positions at Indelimane, the reinforcement deployed there found 54 bodies, including one of a civilian, 10 survivors and noted significant material damage. The situation is under control," Sangare wrote on Twitter, adding that the bodies of those killed were being identified.

The military has dubbed the incident a terrorist attack.

However, media reported that no terrorist group had yet claimed responsibility for it.

For years, Mali has been facing inter-communal tensions exacerbated by terrorist activities. In one of the most recent security incidents in October, at least 25 servicemen were killed and 60 others were missing after an attack on two camps near the Burkina Faso border.