Days after the West African country’s ruling military was ambushed by Islamist rebels, it has sought to hide the true extent of the carnage.

Since the conflict in Mali erupted, violence has spread to neighbours in the Sahel region and reached the north of coastal countries. Thousands have been killed and millions displaced in the region, and some fighters are allied with Al Qaeda or Islamic State.

Attacks Tuesday in Bamako were the first of their kind in years and dealt a forceful blow to the ruling junta, experts said

This week, an Al Qaeda affiliate conducted a lethal attack in Mali's capital, killing around 70 people. The insurgents targeted a police training academy and the airport, undermining the junta's claims of improved security.

Malian troops subdued the Muslim militants who attacked a military training camp and the airport in Mali’s capital on Tuesday after gunbattles that killed some soldiers, authorities said. An al-Qaeda-linked group claimed the attack.

Since the conflict in Mali erupted, violence has spread to neighbours in the Sahel region and reached the north of coastal countries. Thousands have been killed and millions displaced in the region, and some fighters are allied with Al Qaeda or Islamic State.

Over 70 people were killed and 200 were injured in Tuesday’s jihadist attack on a gendarmerie school and military airport in Bamako, the capital of Mali, according to AFP, citing military sources. The junta ruling the country since 2021,