BAMAKO, Mali
At least ten people were killed on Sunday in a fresh militant attack in northern Mali, two days after an attack on a hotel left 12 people dead, according to a Malian military spokesman.
The spokesman, who insisted on anonymity, said the attack had occurred in the northern village of Gaberi.
The village is located close to northern Mali’s Gourma-Rharous area some 160 kilometers east of Timbuktu.
Local sources said the perpetrators were an armed group of Tuareg, and the attack was likely in retaliation for the murder of a member of the community.
Agna Ag Sidi Mohamed from the Tuareg was killed while he was grazing his herd near the Niger River.
A nomadic community, the Tuareg number as many as 1.2 million and mostly live in the Sahara Desert. They have revolted several times against the Malian government over the last half a century.
Sunday’s attack comes two days after 12 people were killed in northern Mali after militants attacked a hotel -- known for frequently hosting U.N. personnel -- in the town of Sevare, located some 600 kilometers north of capital Bamako. According to local sources, casualties included five Malian soldiers, three hotel employees, three of the attackers and a U.N. contractor.
Earlier this month, 11 Malian troops were killed by unidentified gunmen in an attack on a military camp located in the same area.
In 2012, violence erupted in northern Mali following a failed coup attempt and a Tuareg rebellion that allowed al-Qaeda-linked militants to take over the northern half of the country.
In early 2013, former colonial power France sent troops to the North African country and -- with the help of Chadian and other African forces -- flushed the militants from Mali's main northern cities.
Nevertheless, recent months have continued to see sporadic attacks on U.N. peacekeepers and Malian army personnel.
