Ambush attack in central Mali kills 9 soldiers, wounds 11

By BABA AHMED
Associated Press

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Mali’s army has said that gunmen ambushed army troops in the West African country’s central region, killing at least nine soldiers and wounding 11 others. The statement said that three army vehicles were destroyed after hitting explosive devices in the Mopti region between Koro and Bandiagara on Wednesday. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but it is similar to others carried out by extremist groups linked to al-Qaida that are active in central Mali.  Mali has been battling to contain an Islamic extremist insurgency since 2012. Extremist rebels had seized control of Mali’s northern cities but were pushed out of those urban centers in 2013 with the help of a French-led military operation.