Mali wedding attack kills 21

An armed group attacked a wedding ceremony in central Mali and killed at least 21 people, residents said Wednesday, as the West African country's military rulers battle growing violence by extremists.

The attackers rode motorcycles into the village of Djiguibombo in the town of Bandiagara on Monday evening as residents were celebrating a wedding, according to Bakary Guindo, president of the local youth group.

"Most of the victims had their throats slit ," Guindo said. Hamidou Saye, a resident, said the attackers surrounded the large crowd. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but it is a continuation of attacks by the al-Qaeda -linked extremist group JNIM , which has often targeted the area.

Communities in central and northern Mali have been plagued by such violence since 2012. Extremist rebels were ousted from power in northern cities the following year, with the help of recently expelled French troops. The extremists have regrouped and are launching attacks on isolated villages and security forces.

Nearly four years after taking power and the departure of foreign peacekeepers, Mali’s military rulers have had little success in containing the violence. Meanwhile, a 2015 peace deal with Tuareg rebels operating in the north of the country has collapsed, deepening the security crisis.