The group associated with al -Qaeda with responsibility

Al Qaeda -linked group says it carried out a major attack on the financial town of Balkisi and took control of an army base.

More than 30 soldiers were killed in an attack on Sunday, according to the sources quoted by Reuters, however this number was not confirmed by the authorities.

On Monday, the group, the first Nasrat group of Islam Walm (JNIM), says it targeted the army in the historical city of Timbocto, where the residents reported the shooting and explosions.

In a statement that responded to the attack on Sunday, a financial army said it was “a strong reaction”, before “withdrawal” – indicating a tactical decline.

The statement added, “Many men, some of whom have even breathed, fought to defend the financial nation,” the statement added.

An unveiled local source told Reuters that Jinim had left many victims and “cleansing the camp”.

The attacks, the latest sign of the security collapse in Mali and the wider coast region, came after the leadership of the United States of America warned of the increasing efforts made by the various different Islamic groups working in the coast to reach the West Africa coast.

During a press conference on Friday, the commander of the United States of America (Africa), General Michael Langley, described the recent attacks in Nigeria, the wider coast, and the Lake Chad basin as very worrying, warning that the arrival of groups to the coast will significantly enhance their ability to evade and smuggle weapons.

More than 400 soldiers have been believed to have been killed by militants since the beginning of last month in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, according to Reuters reports.

Additional reports by Simon Poinsin.