Bamako: Several vehicles, including fuel tankers, minibuses, and trucks, were set on fire near Bamako as jihadist groups intensified a blockade around the Malian capital.
Verified videos showed multiple vehicles burnt on a highway about 45 km west of Bamako. Reports indicate that passengers and drivers were ordered to leave the vehicles before they were torched. No casualties have been officially reported so far.
The attacks have been linked to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, an al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group that has reportedly tightened its fuel blockade after recent attacks in the region.
Mali, a landlocked nation heavily dependent on fuel supplies from neighbouring countries, has witnessed repeated attacks on transport routes, with militants allegedly burning over 100 fuel trucks since last year.
DPCI International Desk reports that the worsening security situation in Mali is raising serious concerns over regional stability, fuel shortages, and the growing influence of extremist groups in West Africa.
