This archive report was first published on 2 October 2019.
Published on October 2, 2019, a devastating militant attack on two Malian army outposts has left a trail of death and destruction in its wake.
At least 25 Malian soldiers were killed and 60 more are missing after militants attacked the camps in the towns of Boulkessy and Mondoro near the border with Burkina Faso on Monday.
The government of Mali has confirmed that their troops killed 15 militants in the ensuing battle, but lost a significant amount of equipment in the process.
As a result, Malian forces have launched a joint operation with Burkina Faso and French forces in the region to recapture the area and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Mali has been plagued by violence and ethnic rivalries since 2012, when militants took over the north of the country and France launched its military intervention.
The West African country, along with Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, and Mauritania, is part of an anti-insurgency force supported by France known as the G5 Sahel.
On Monday, the five-nation group blamed 'suspected members of Ansarul Islam' for the attack at Boulkessy.
Ansarul Islam, meaning Defenders of Islam, was created in 2016 by the radical and popular preacher Ibrahim Malam Dicko, who reportedly fought with Islamist militants in the north of Mali in 2012.
