12 killed by suspected Islamists

Suspected Islamist fighters attacked a town in western Mali near the border with neighbouring Mauritania before dawn on Saturday, leaving 12 people dead, including three soldiers and nine attackers, the defence ministry said.

The ministry’s statement did not identify the assailants, but a senior army officer said military intelligence and initial witness accounts indicated the attackers were Islamist fighters, mainly from the Peuhl ethnic group.