Hundreds continue to flee central Malian town after jihadist attack

A week after a jihadist attack on a military camp in central Mali, hundreds of civilians continue to flee the town of Farabougou and surrounding villages.

Local and military sources say that soldiers have evacuated their garrison in the town which is some 300 kilometres north of the capital, Bamako.

It is now controlled by the militants that claim to have carried out the attack, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which has links to Al-Qaeda.

The army says its departure from Farabougou was strategic decision as it prepares its  return.

There have been no information available about the number of casualties in the assault.

The JNIM is the main group behind a surge in jihadist attacks sweeping across several West African nations, particularly Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

It rejects the authority of the Sahel governments, seeking to impose its strict interpretation of Islam and Sharia in the areas where it operates.

Since seizing power, Mali's military government has turned its back on its former colonial ruler, France, and has forged ties with Russia.

Mercenaries from the paramilitary Wagner group and its successor, Africa Corps, are now helping the army fight jihadists and other internal adversaries.