Death toll in Mali suicide blast rises to more than 50

19/1/2017 2:36

        A suicide bomber in an explosives-laden vehicle attacked a camp in northern Mali, killing more than 50 people and wounding more than 100 soldiers and former fighters now trying to stabilize the region.
        
        The attack marks a significant setback for efforts to achieve peace in the long-tumultuous region. The morning blast hit the Joint Operational Mechanism base in the city of Gao, home to Malian soldiers and hundreds of former fighters who had signed the peace agreement with the government.
        
        Dismembered bodies could still be seen two hours after the blast. A Malian military official put the death toll at more than 50, with more than 100 others wounded. A government statement later said 47 had been killed, including five attackers, and called the toll provisional.
        
        The attack underscores the enormous challenges that remain in northern Mali four years after the French military led an intervention to drive the jihadists from power in the major towns across the north.
        
        The peace agreement has proved difficult to implement and unpopular with the forces wreaking havoc in the region.