Strike on market in north Mali kills 18, civil society group says

18/3/2025 19:01

An army air strike at a market in Mali's northern Timbuktu region on Sunday killed at least 18 people and injured seven, a local rights group said, while the army said it was targeting terrorists.



The Collective for the Defence of the Rights of the Azawad People, which is linked to separatist Tuareg rebels, said Malian armed forces bombed a weekly market 50 km (30 miles) north of the city of Lerneb.



Mali's army said on Monday it had launched air strikes against what it called terrorist activity in the same area cited by the rights group. It said in a statement on X that the strikes has "neutralised" at least 11 terrorists.



North Mali is rife with militant activity linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.