As Mali's military rulers battled growing violence by extremists, not less than 21 people were killed when an armed group attacked a wedding ceremony in central Mali on Wednesday, residents said.
According to Bakary Guindo, president of the local youth group, the attackers rode motorcycles into the village of Djiguibombo in the town of Bandiagara on Monday evening as residents were celebrating a wedding.
"Most of the victims had their throats slit ," Guindo said. Hamidou Saye, also said the large crowd were surrounded by the attackers.
Though no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, it appeared like a continuation of attacks by the al-Qaeda -linked extremist group JNIM, which has often targeted the area.
Since 2012, communities in central and northern Mali have been plagued by such violence.
Extremist rebels, ousted from power in northern cities the following year, with the help of recently expelled French troops, have regrouped and are launching attacks on isolated villages and security forces.
And, Mali’s military rulers have had little success in containing the violence, nearly four years after taking power and the departure of foreign peacekeepers.
Meanwhile, a 2015 peace deal with Tuareg rebels operating in the north of the country has collapsed, deepening the security crisis.
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