A jihadist attack in the Malian capital targeting a military police training camp and airport left more than 70 people dead and 200 wounded, one of the highest tolls suffered by the security forces in recent years.

A major attack by an al Qaeda-linked group on a military police training camp and nearby airport complex in Bamako earlier this week killed more than 70 people and wounded more than 200, a Malian security source said Thursday.

This week, an Al Qaeda affiliate conducted a lethal attack in Mali's capital, killing around 70 people. The insurgents targeted a police training academy and the airport, undermining the junta's claims of improved security.

Although the attack was attributed to Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), the al-Qaeda affiliated coalition of armed groups that is Mali’s largest jihadist force, it did not substantially weaken the junta’s self-confidence and capacity to set the domestic political and diplomatic agenda.

Since the conflict in Mali erupted, violence has spread to neighbours in the Sahel region and reached the north of coastal countries. Thousands have been killed and millions displaced in the region, and some fighters are allied with Al Qaeda or Islamic State.

Over 70 people were killed and 200 were injured in Tuesday’s jihadist attack on a gendarmerie school and military airport in Bamako, the capital of Mali, according to AFP, citing military sources. The junta ruling the country since 2021,

Over 70 people died and 200 were injured in Tuesday's jihadist attack on the gendarmerie school and military airport in Bamako, the capital of Mali, according to the AFP agency, citing military sources.