Extremists attack a wedding ceremony in Mali, killing at least 21

BAMAKO, Mali – An armed group attacked a wedding ceremony in central Mali, killing at least 21 people, residents said Wednesday, as the West African country’s military government grapples with rising violence from extremists.

According to Bakary Guindo, chairman of the local youth group, the attackers rode motorcycles into the village of Djiguibombo in the town of Bandiagara on Monday evening while residents were celebrating the couple.

“Most of the victims had their throats slit,” Guindo said.

Local resident Hamidou Saye said the attackers surrounded the numerous participants.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but it follows a pattern of attacks by the al-Qaeda-linked extremist group JNIM, which frequently carries out attacks in the region.

Communities in central and northern Mali have been in the grip of this violence since 2012. The following year, extremist rebels in northern cities were ousted from power with the help of recently expelled French troops. The extremists have regrouped and are launching attacks on remote villages and security forces.

Almost four years after seizing power and withdrawing foreign peacekeepers, Mali’s military has barely managed to contain the violence. At the same time, a 2015 peace agreement with the Tuareg rebels active in the north has collapsed, exacerbating the security crisis.