File image. Mali flag. Photo: AFP / Daphné Benoit
By George Wright, BBC News
Islamist militants have attacked a river boat in north-eastern Mali, killing at least 49 civilians, the interim government says.
They also reportedly attacked an army camp, killing 15 soldiers, while around 50 militants are said to have died.
The government has declared three days of national mourning.
The Islamist threat has been growing despite claims by the military that Russian Wagner Group mercenaries are turning the tide of their campaign.
The northern city of Timbuktu has been under blockade since the end of last month and there have been several other recent attacks on transport.
The BBC could not independently verify the government's latest report, which was read out on national TV.
Militants reportedly attacked the boat as it was travelling on the River Niger from the town of Gao to Mopti. Militants also attacked an army camp in the Bourem Circle in the Gao region.
The Malian army said on social media that the boat had been attacked around 11.00 GMT by "armed terrorist groups".
The boat operator, Comanav, told AFP news agency the vessel had been targeted by at least three rockets aimed at its engines,
The vessel was immobilised on the river and the army went in to evacuate passengers, said a Comanav official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Mali has been ruled by a military junta since 2020.
There was huge popular support for the junta when it seized power after mass protests against then-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. People had been angered by economic uncertainty, a disputed election and chronic insecurity.
Since then, data suggests Mali's military government has made little progress in its fightback against Islamists who control parts of the country.
An insurgency with links to al-Qaeda and Islamic State took root in the north of Mali in 2012. Islamist militants have since gained ground, spreading across the Sahel region to coastal West African nations.
This story was originally published by the BBC.
