Fatal Mortar Attack Claims Two Lives During Timbuktu Siege in Mali

The army has announced that two people were killed and five others were injured in an attack on the historic city of Timbuktu in Mali. The military has blamed "terrorists" for the shelling. Timbuktu, which is designated as a World Heritage Site by the UN, has been facing attacks from jihadists, leading to severe food shortages. Last year, Mali's military took control, accusing the civilian government of failing to address the insurgency. However, recent months have seen an increase in militant attacks. As the UN peacekeeping force is being pulled out at the request of the military government, France withdrew its forces and mercenaries from Russia's Wagner group were brought in. This attack has caused panic among the residents of Timbuktu. The army also reported that it successfully prevented an attack in Léré town and eliminated five militants. Ethnic Tuareg rebels raided two military camps, resulting in the deaths of five soldiers. The Tuareg rebels, who seek independence for northern Mali, oppose the army's control over bases left by the departing UN troops and accuse the junta of breaking the Algiers peace deal. Islamist insurgents are active in various West African regions, including the Sahara Desert, the Sahel, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. The army's seizure of power in these countries has not managed to quell the jihadist insurgency.