One child killed, two injured in terrorist shelling of Timbuktu, Mali

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
27 Aug 2023 09:01

A tragic shelling incident in Timbuktu claims the life of a child and injures others amid threats from Al-Qaeda linked groups.

United Nations forces patrol the streets of Timbuktu, Mali, on Sept. 26, 2021 (AP)

Shelling claimed the life of a child and left several others wounded, AFP reported citing officials and medical sources.

The attack occurred at approximately 5:30 PM when armed groups targeted Timbuktu with a shell, landing dangerously close to the bustling market near the Malian Solidarity Bank. The impact resulted in multiple civilian injuries, prompting their immediate transfer to a nearby hospital.

An 11-year-old girl lost her life in the incident and another four-year-old girl was also injured in the attack, hospital sources confirmed.

Reports emerging on Monday revealed that Timbuktu had been under siege by terrorist groups in the days leading up to the attack, underscoring concerns about the deteriorating security situation in the region.

The deteriorating security situation coincided with ominous messages on social media attributed to a commander associated with the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM), who declared a "war" on the Timbuktu region.

These explicit threats of violence come amid heightened instability and the accelerated withdrawal of the UN mission for Mali (MINUSMA).

Back in mid-August, MINUSMA announced that it would expedite the withdrawal of UN troops from the Western African country, citing a worsening security situation.

MINUSMA claimed its forces were attacked twice as it mounted a hasty operation to pull from the town of Ber in the country's north.

The Malian army then announced that it had taken control, following clashes with militants, of a MINUSMA military base in the north of the country after it was evacuated.

The decade-old peacekeeping mission was terminated by the UNSC back in late June after the military junta demanded that the troops leave, having labeled the UN mission a failure.