At least ten civilians, mostly young people, lost their lives in drone strikes carried out by the Malian army on Sunday as they were preparing to celebrate a traditional collective marriage in the center of the country, according to sources from security and local authorities.
The strikes took place in the locality of Téni, located in the San region (central Mali). They come at a time of heightened security concerns in the country following coordinated attacks on April 25 and 26 by jihadists from the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), allied with Al-Qaeda, and the rebellion of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), dominated by Tuareg.
In a statement to AFP, a local resident, speaking anonymously, said, “Ten of our children were killed by gunfire of unknown origin.” The event, which was supposed to be a moment of joy in the village, has turned into immense sadness, they added.
A security source, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, confirmed the strikes. “The tragedy occurred as villagers were preparing for the second edition of this traditional collective marriage, a major cultural event for this community,” the source told AFP. According to the source, the strikes targeted “a procession of several motorcycles following each other.” “This is certainly what caught the attention of the drones. There were at least nine deaths,” the source added.
A local official also confirmed to AFP the death of around ten individuals. “A wedding was about to take place when the drones killed at least ten civilians. It is truly a mourning period,” the official shared with AFP.
