5 Malian soldiers found dead in river Niger

Five Malian soldiers, who went missing after an attack in Mali’s central region of Mopti on Sunday, were found dead in river Niger.

A military source disclosed this in Bamako, capital of the country, on Thursday, saying four bodies were found on Tuesday evening, while one other body was found on Wednesday morning.

Tieman Coulibaly, Mali’s defence minister, said the dead soldiers were in a supply convoy of the Malian army, which came under attack between Tenenkou and Diafarabe region in Mopti.

He said one of the vehicles of the Malian forces was burnt, while four others were taken away during the attack for which no group has claimed responsibility.

The Malian army lost 17 soldiers during a similar attack at the Nampala barracks on July 19.

After the attack, six Malian soldiers were reported missing.

Ansar Dine insurgent group, which claimed responsibility for the attack, recently released a video of five of the soldiers, whom it claimed had been captured.