At least 11 people were killed while 58 were injured after a bus hit an explosive device in the central area of Mali on Thursday, reported news agency AFP citing a hospital source. The explosion occurred on the road between Bandiagara and Goundaka in the Mopti area in the early afternoon, a security source said, reported the news agency adding that the region is known as a hotbed for jihadist violence.
According to the report, citing police and local sources, a provisional toll of 10 dead and many seriously injured was stated earlier.
“We have just transferred nine bodies to the clinic. And it's not over yet," said Moussa Housseyni of the local Bandiagara Youth Association, adding that they were all civilians.
The West African country has long struggled with jihadist insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes. Mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are among the jihadists' weapons of choice. They can explode on impact or be detonated remotely, the report added.
A report by the United Nations mission to Mali, MINUSMA stated that mines and IEDs had caused 72 deaths in the year 2022 as of August 31. Of the 72 people who fell prey to these mines and IEDs, most were soldiers, but more than a quarter were civilians.
Last year, the IEDs and mines had claimed the lives of 103 people and left 297 people injured, the report said.