New attack on Mali army post kills five

The latest attack, on a military post in the village of Mahou in the Sikasso region, began in the morning, a local elected official and witness told AFP, before being brought under control.
"It was terrifying to see such a large number of attackers. They were on dozens of motorcycles," a resident told AFP, with another witness reporting that there had been more than 50 assailants.
Mali's armed forces reported that ground and air reinforcements were called in and the Sikasso security source and others said the attack was brought to a halt.
"We regret the loss of five men and nearly 10 injured," the security source said, adding that "a (military) vehicle was set on fire."

The army's general staff said in a statement released Thursday that recent weeks had been marked by a "resurgence of cowardly and barbaric attacks against localities, peaceful populations, as well as military bases".
"These acts are being committed by a coalition of armed terrorist groups of all persuasions with internal and external support", the statement said. It did not mention the attack in Mahou.

Soldiers on the ground in Mahou worked to "repel this attack and maintain the location's security", the security source told AFP. "The situation is under control," the person said.
The violence comes days after an attack on an army base and airport in the ancient city of Timbuktu in Mali's north in which more than a dozen assailants were "neutralised", according to the army's general staff.
One day prior, at least 30 soldiers were killed when the Boulkessi army base in central Mali, near the border with Burkina Faso, came under assault in an attack blamed on jihadists.
Since 2012 Mali has faced attacks from groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group as well as separatist movements and criminal gangs, reports BSS.