Mali attack claimed by Al-Qaeda affiliate: Website

BAMAKO, Mali

 The Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) organization on Tuesday has claimed responsibility for an attack on an army base one day earlier in which 11 Malian soldiers were killed, according to a website that covers news from the North African country.

According to the French-language Maliactu.net, AQIM claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack, which occurred in Mali’s Gouma-Rharous commune, located some 160 kilometers east of Timbuktu.

Minusma, the UN’s peacekeeping mission in Mali, had condemned the attacks and called for the terms of a recent cease-fire to be respected.

Violence erupted in Mali in 2012 following a failed coup attempt and a Tuareg rebellion that allowed Al-Qaeda-linked militants to take over the northern half of the country.