10/18/2022 Mali (International Christian Concern) – Mali has seen a rise in jihadist activity over the last several weeks. On Thursday, October 13, a passenger bus hit an improvised explosive device (IED) in central Mali, killing at least ten people and wounding dozens more. 

A five-year-old girl was among the victims. 38 other passengers were taken to a nearby medical center for treatment.  

According to a military spokesman, “The bus leaving for Koro hit an improvised explosive device that was placed by terrorists and deliberately aimed at innocent civilian targets.”   

While the attack has not been officially claimed, Islamic extremists with links to al-Qaeda were blamed for the attack. Placing mines on roads to target Malian army vehicles and UN peacekeepers is a trademark strategy of the al-Qaeda-linked extremist groups in the region.  

On Monday, October 16, a convoy of vehicles carrying UN peacekeepers hit another IED in northern Mali. Three peacekeepers were killed, and three more were injured, according to a UN spokesperson.  

Islamic militants have been waging an insurgency mostly concentrated in northern Mali for much of the last decade. Violent roadside attacks with IEDs are not uncommon.  

Please pray for those suffering from the violence in Mali.  

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