The head of public relations for the Malian military confirmed that two Malian soldiers and three jihadists were killed during a patrol outside the northern Malian city of Gao, after a suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated his explosive vest.
Lt. Col. Souleymane Maiga says the incident occurred yesterday at around 1:30 p.M. During a search in Amakouladji, located 45 kilometers north of Gao. The city of Gao was occupied for nearly a year by the al-Qaida-linked Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa.
Maiga said the unit spotted a suspected jihadist on a scooter and stopped him. While they were searching him, a car surged forward and opened fire on the soldiers. At the same moment, the jihadist on the motorcycle detonated his explosives.
