Five militants killed in Mali resort attack - minister confirms

Mali’s Security Minister, Salif Traore, has confirmed that five insurgents were killed in an attack on a luxury resort located outside the capital, Bamako.

As at Sunday night, the official account of casualties stood at two whiles two attackers were also neutralized. Over 30 others were safely rescued in the ensuing operation.

“This was without doubt a terrorist attack,” Security Minister Salif Traore told Radio France International. “The anti-terrorist forces arrived on the scene immediately afterwards. Five terrorists were killed … The operations continued throughout the night,” he added.

Four gunmen arriving on motorbikes and a car stormed Le Campement Kangaba, near Dougourakoro, on Sunday evening killed two persons at the facility popular with Western expatriates.

They were, however, pushed out by Malian forces backed by French troops. The Minister added that the militants had some accomplices who had not been killed or detained.

On Monday, president Macron in a telephone call to his Malian counterpart pledged France’s full support in the wake of the attack.

“During their exchange, he conveyed France’s full support to Mali’s president during this ordeal,” said Macron’s office.

A journalist with RFI has been tweeting details of those rescued. They included Malians (14), French (13), Dutch (2), Kenyans (2) with a national each from Cameroon, Spain, Egypt and Italy.

He also reported that one of the casualties was a Portuguese soldier with the European Union Training Mission in Mali.