Mali: The government reported that 88 jihadists were "neutralised" and 10 civilians and 3 soldiers were killed across Mali on Saturday in a wave of carnage it called a resurgence of "terrorist incidents."

Ten civilians were killed and 61 others were hurt when suspected jihadists attacked the Sevare airport area in the central Mopti region early on Saturday morning, according to a statement from the government.

A Malian military camp is located nearby the airport, and the blasts damaged some nearby homes.

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The attackers were routed and 28 terrorists were neutralised thanks to the legendary tenacity of our brave Armed Forces, who operated solely with their own resources, it said.

Prior to the fighting, a local elected official informed AFP that Senegalese soldiers from MINUSMA, the UN's peacekeeping mission in Mali, were involved.
The MINUSMA camp is located next to the airport and the Malian army camp, and it spans four hectares (almost 10 acres).

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"MINUSMA vehemently denounces the attacks on the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) camp in Sevare on April 22 and the nearby car bombings that resulted in civilian casualties and injuries... The MINUSMA camp also came under fire, the mission reported in a statement on Saturday.

MINUSMA declares that it is prepared to offer the Malian authorities any assistance needed to carry out the necessary investigations.

Under the condition of anonymity, two local elected officials and a diplomatic source described the base as a "Russian" camp to AFP.

In 2022, the junta in Mali started cooperating with what it refers to as Russian military "instructors." These are mercenaries from Russia's Wagner group, according to the opposition.

The Russian camp, which is close to the airport, has been targeted, a representative of government told AFP.

MINUSMA declares that it is prepared to offer the Malian authorities any assistance needed to carry out the necessary investigations.

Under the condition of anonymity, two local elected officials and a diplomatic source described the base as a "Russian" camp to AFP.

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In 2022, the junta in Mali started cooperating with what it refers to as Russian military "instructors." These are mercenaries from Russia's Wagner group, according to the opposition.

The Russian camp, which is close to the airport, has been targeted, a representative of government told AFP.

Also on Saturday, a Bamako, Mali, air force helicopter crashed in a residential area, killing three of its crew members and injuring six civilians, according to a government statement.

According to the report, the crash happened "following a typical aerial surveillance operation of Bamako."

On Saturday morning, a military source who spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity said that the helicopter was returning "from the Mauritanian border where it had intervened against jihadists."

The bloodshed on Saturday happened the day after Mali observed the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, which signifies the conclusion of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Perfidious terrorist incidents have returned in recent days, the government claimed in the statement.

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It went on to say that the recent coordinated terrorist attacks were a part of the same evil scheme to undermine the Transitional Authorities' resolve to pursue the Refoundation and secure Mali.

Since 2012, when jihadist and separatist insurgencies first appeared in the nation's north, Mali has been dealing with a security crisis.

A military junta has been in control since August 2020, shattering a long-standing alliance with France and other Western allies in the fight against jihadism and shifting diplomatically and militarily towards Russia.