A child was killed and at least two others injured in a grenade attack on the city of Timbuktu on Saturday, August 26, authorities and a hospital source said.
Two projectiles fired by “terrorists” hit “downtown Timbuktu” killing an 11-year-old girl, a local elected official told Agence France-Presse (AFP), adding that a four-year-old child was among the injured.
“On Saturday (…) at 5:30 p.m., armed terrorist groups (…) aimed a grenade at the city of Timbuktu, which fell near the market,” the army confirmed, reporting “four civilians evacuated to the hospital.” “We are confirming the death of a little girl,” a hospital source said.
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Local officials told AFP on Monday that Islamists had blocked the city for several days. In early August, a social media post attributed to the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM, an Al Qaeda affiliate) said the group had “declared war” on the Timbuktu region.
Void created by the withdrawal of French forces
Timbuktu was one of the first major cities in the north of the country to fall under the control of Tuareg rebels and then Salafist fighters after a 2012 uprising.
In 2022, the French force “Barkhane” left Mali, leaving behind a vacuum in which the jihadists were engulfed, according to various observers and experts. United Nations troops must leave their base in Timbuktu by the end of 2023.
The UN Mali Stabilization Mission (Minusma) has already withdrawn from two bases near Timbuktu: Ber and Goundam, handing over the positions to the Malian authorities. However, much of the national territory is outside of state control.
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