Africa-Press. Several people were killed and others injured after a passenger bus carrying civilians struck a landmine on the road connecting the Malian capital, Bamako, to the city of Kayes in the west of the country, according to a local source in the transportation union.
The explosion occurred in an area where the group “Support for Islam and Muslims,” linked to the organization “Al-Qaeda,” has intensified its operations against government forces and transportation means around the capital in recent months.
Mamadou Kasambara, a spokesperson for the national drivers’ union, stated that the bus was en route from Bamako to Kayes when the landmine exploded, resulting in casualties and injuries to dozens of individuals.
This incident comes amid a deteriorating security situation in Mali and the Sahel region, where the armed group previously announced a blockade on Bamako and established checkpoints on several main roads leading to the capital, increasing the risks faced by civilian and commercial transportation.
The African Sahel region is considered one of the most active hotspots for terrorism in the world, with ongoing armed attacks and violence resulting in thousands of deaths and causing widespread displacement in recent years.
