Militants on motorbikes kill 20 troops in Mali – Officials

Twenty members of the security forces have been killed in Mali by suspected Islamist militants, officials say.

The attack came early on Sunday at the Sokolo military camp in the central Segou region.

An official speaking to AFP news agency said the gunmen arrived on motorbikes and that all those killed were gendarmes or paramilitary police.

Militants linked to the Islamic State group or al-Qaeda often carry out attacks in Mali and the wider region.

Late last year, 24 soldiers were killed by militants in eastern Mali. Only weeks earlier, 54 troops had died in another attack.

In the latest incident, the army said militants damaged and stole military equipment. Five soldiers were injured, and a total of 60 survived the attack.

A witness described the scene as “complete chaos”.

Funerals for those killed took place on Sunday afternoon.