Gunmen kill 47 Tuaregs in Mali

DAKAR, Senegal

At least 47 Tuaregs were reportedly killed and scores injured by unidentified attackers in north Mali this week.

A group of nine to 12 gunmen have raided the Tassalatine and Tinabaw areas, 60 kilometers (around 37 miles) from Menaka over the past two days, according to the local media reports.

The attackers also set on fire 80 kilometers (around 50 miles) of grassland.

Several armed groups are active in northern Mali, where French, Malian and UN peacekeepers are conducting counterterrorism operations.

Tensions erupted in Mali in 2012 following a failed coup and a Tuareg rebellion that ultimately allowed al-Qaeda-linked militant groups to take over the northern half of the country.

In 2015, a peace deal was signed between the government and some insurgent groups.

Political and community disputes continue to fuel tensions in northern Mali, thus undermining the implementation of the peace agreement.

Reporting by Alaatting Dogru:Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev