Battle for Mali base has killed dozens of militants, army says - BBC News

The army says it was involved in fierce fighting but disputes that Islamists took control of the garrison.

Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesByChris EwokorBBC AfricaPublished2 hours agoThe authorities in Mali say their soldiers killed dozens of militant Islamists as they repelled an attack on a military base on Sunday.

Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a jihadist group affiliated to al-Qaeda, said it was behind the assault where its fighters took control of the base in the town of San.

The army, which also suffered casualties, disputed it had ceded control - but said its soldiers had to "retreat temporarily".

It comes as Mali's security situation appears to be deteriorating, more than a decade after a jihadist insurgency began taking root in the north of the country.

"The enemy was eliminated and the attack was successfully repelled. Around 40 terrorists were eliminated," Lt Col El Oumrani, the commander of the 23rd regiment in the San garrison, said in a video.