The Malian army announced the killing of at least 17 soldiers and four civilians and the disappearance of nine more soldiers in an attack attributed to jihadist groups in the city of Tisset, which hosts an army camp, in an area known as the border triangle between Mali and Niger Burkina Faso.

In a statement, the army indicated that “the result is temporary and likely to intensify”, announcing the killing of seven attackers “probably associated with ISIS in the Great Sahara”, noting that they were supported by marches, artillery, explosives and car bombs. He stressed that “the illegal and uncoordinated flights monitored by the Malian armed forces in the past two days confirm the hypothesis that the terrorists enjoyed a lot of support and external expertise.”

He reported that 22 soldiers were wounded and there were heavy losses in equipment, including three destroyed vehicles, as well as damage to other vehicles, military installations and residential buildings.

Tissette, a city in a vast ungovernable area on the financial side of the Triangle, often witnesses clashes and attacks.