Extremists kill dozens of soldiers at a Mali military base, sources say
The attack on Sunday on the base in Boulkessi, near the border with Burkina Faso, killed at least 60 soldiers and wounded 40 more, a civil society activist in the area told The Associated Press.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to reporters.
The al Qaeda-linked JNIM group claimed responsibility.
A military source told the AP there were around 280 soldiers in the base, and 'all of those who didn't die were taken prisoner by the terrorists'.
Mali's army acknowledged the attack in a statement on Monday, adding that soldiers had fought 'to their last breath'. It did not provide an exact death toll.
Mali, along with neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, has battled an insurgency by armed groups, including some allied with al Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, they have expelled French forces and turned to Russia's mercenary units for security assistance.
In a separate attack on Monday, JNIM claimed responsibility for co-ordinated attacks on a military airport, a military base and army checkpoints in the northern town of Timbuktu.
Mali's army said on social media it repelled the attack and that 13 extremists had been killed. It did not say whether any soldiers were killed.
A hospital employee in the town said one soldier died of his wounds and 10 other people were wounded.
Timbuktu residents said they heard heavy gunfire and saw armed men enter the town on motorcycles. They spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals.
Rida Lyammouri, a Sahel expert at the Morocco-based Policy Centre for the New South, said the high level of co-ordination in the two attacks shows that JNIM had been planning them for a while.
Attacks by extremists have been on the rise in Mali and neighbouring Burkina Faso in recent weeks. JNIM has established a strong presence in both.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Western Telegraph
41 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Jury deliberations begin in Harvey Weinstein's sex crimes retrial
The seven-woman, five-man jury is considering two counts of criminal sex act and one count of rape, each relating to a different accuser and a different date. In this case, the criminal sex act charge is the higher-degree felony. Weinstein, 73, has pleaded not guilty. Harvey Weinstein (Olga Fedorova/Pool Photo via AP) Nearly eight years ago, a series of sexual misconduct allegations against the Oscar-winning movie producer propelled the #MeToo movement. Some of those accusations later generated criminal charges and convictions in New York and California. The New York conviction from 2020 was subsequently overturned, leading to the retrial before a new jury and a different judge. Jurors heard more than five weeks of testimony, including lengthy and sometimes fiery questioning of Weinstein's three accusers in the case. Jessica Mann said he raped her in 2013, when she was trying to build an acting career. Miriam Haley accused him of forcibly performing oral sex on her in 2006, when she was looking for work in entertainment production. Kaja Sokola, who was not involved in Weinstein's first trial, told jurors that he forced oral sex on her, too, during 2006. At the time, she was a teenage fashion model trying to break into acting. 'They all had dreams of pursuing careers in the defendant's world, the entertainment industry,' prosecutor Nicole Blumberg told jurors in her closing argument on Tuesday. She contended that Weinstein let the women think he was interested in their careers when what actually interested him were their bodies, and 'he was going to have their bodies and touch their bodies whether they wanted him to or not'. Weinstein chose not to testify. His defence called other witnesses, including some former friends of Ms Sokola's and Ms Mann's. Weinstein's attorneys argued that all three accusers consented to Weinstein's advances because they wanted help with their Hollywood aims. All three stayed on friendly terms with him afterwards, a point the defence emphasised. 'It's transactional, folks. Yes, he wants to fool around with them, and yes, they want something from him,' defence lawyer Arthur Aidala said in his summation on Tuesday.
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Chuckles Nursery rated one of Wales' top 20 nurseries
The Bettws-based nursery has received the award from leading nursery reviews site The nursery's reviews from children's families and carers formed the basis of this award. Reviews were based on the nursery's overall standard, facilities and outside space, learning resources, equipment and ICT, care, activities, staff, food and nutrition, management, cleanliness, safeguarding, and value for money. Amanda Hopkins, reviews manager of said: "We would like to congratulate Chuckles Nursery on being rated by parents as a top nursery in Wales. "It is a huge achievement to be rated so highly by the families and carers of children that attend the setting. "Our award is valuable recognition from parents and carers that this nursery is giving their children an excellent standard of care and a nurturing environment." Chuckles Nursery manager Lisa Owen expressed her delight at the award, saying: "Nine years in a row we have won this award and every year we wait with anticipation to see if we can achieve it again. "We have our parents to thank for every one of those awards. "The award is based on parents scoring different categories and the reviews that they write. " have a system in place that verifies the address they are writing from and that they can't submit each year. "We feel that's the best recommendation we can hope for and it's so gratifying to know the hard work of the team is appreciated." There are more than 14,000 nurseries in the UK, with more than 400,000 people working in the childcare sector. Around one million children in the UK attend a nursery, ranging in age from three months to five years old. which lists all registered nurseries in the UK, is a resource for parents choosing a nursery for their child. It has reviews from parents with a child at the nursery and other information such as facilities and nursery fees to help parents choose a nursery. You can see Chuckles nursery reviews on where you'll also find a full list of regional and national winners.
.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D1200%26auto%3Dwebp%26quality%3D75%26trim%3D0%2C0%2C0%2C0%26crop%3D&w=3840&q=100)
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Four men jailed over ‘egregious' NHS bribery and corruption offences
Judge condemns corruption 'on a grand scale' at end of 65-day trial Sign up to the daily Crime UK newsletter. All the latest crime news and trials from across the UK. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Four men convicted of bribery and corrupt practices over the awarding of NHS contracts worth £6 million have been jailed. Alan Hush, 68, Adam Sharoudi, 41, Gavin Brown, 48, and Gavin Cox, 60, were convicted following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow which followed an investigation at health boards across Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The offences, which took place between 2010 and 2017, included bribery, corruption, and other offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Hush and Sharoudi were additionally convicted of charges of fraud. Sharoudi and Brown, directors of Ayrshire-based telecommunications firm Oricom Ltd, were jailed for eight years and seven years respectively when they were sentenced at the court on Thursday, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said. Hush, who was telecommunications manager at NHS Lothian, was sentenced to eight years in jail, while Cox, who was head of IT and infrastructure at NHS Lanarkshire, was jailed for six years. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In a sentencing statement later published online, Lord Arthurson said: 'The public are entitled to expect that their fellow citizens will not seek to subvert public officials in the diligent exercise of their duties, and public officials in their turn should know that succumbing to bribery will result in the handing down by the court of immediate and significant custodial terms. 'The reach and character of the corruption and in particular the corrupt relationships engaged in by all of you, when considered as a whole, was on a grand scale.' The trial at the High Court in Glasgow lasted 65 days. 'A betrayal of public trust' Sineidin Corrins, deputy procurator fiscal for specialist casework at COPFS, said: 'This is an outstanding result for justice in Scotland. 'As prosecutors, we have shown an unwavering commitment to pursuing and investigating this matter. This was a betrayal of public trust. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'These four men colluded to create a sophisticated criminal scheme. The public will rightly be shocked by the scale of their criminality. 'The scale of this offending against our public health service is particularly egregious. 'The systematic abuse of position by public officials, who accepted inappropriate benefits including cash, holidays and entertainment in exchange for contract advantages, strikes at the heart of public trust. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It serves as a reminder that procurement processes exist to ensure fair competition and value for public money. When these processes are corrupted, all of society bears the cost. 'The prosecutorial journey has been complex and demanding. It required forensic examination of thousands of documents, hundreds of witness statements, and detailed financial analyses to establish the full extent of this criminal activity. 'The digital evidence, particularly text messages and emails exchanged between the accused, proved pivotal in exposing the true nature of these arrangements. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'This was a meticulous investigation and one which reflects the enduring partnership working between specialist Crown Office prosecutors, NHS Counter Fraud Services and Police Scotland, who worked tirelessly over many years. 'Their unflinching dedication to serving the interests of justice, regardless of complexity or duration, deserves recognition.' The four men will now be subject to confiscation action under proceeds of crime legislation to recover monies illegally obtained. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Brown and Sharoudi were also banned from being company directors for 10 years. Gordon Young, head of NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services at NHS National Services Scotland, said: 'This is a landmark conviction for fraud, bribery and corruption of individuals who sought to exploit the NHS for personal gain. 'This successful prosecution reaffirms NHS Scotland's commitment to safeguarding vital funds for patient care as intended by the taxpayer.
