A Malian military patch. AFP/BBC.
Twenty soldiers in Mali were killed in a motorcycle raid. BBC. The raid was targeting the Sokolo military camp. Five more soldiers were injured in the attack while 60 survived. The militants also took control of military equipment and destroyed some of the things they couldn't take with them. Mali has had problems with Islamic militants including al-Qaeda and ISIS affiliates. The attacks come after a large amount of violence in the region.
My Comment:
Just a quick post to remind people that Mali is still a mess. Even though France has deployed many troops and the Malian forces have been trying to control the situation it doesn't seem to be working. It seems these kinds of attacks happen all too frequently.
It does seem like a very effective tactic. Motorcycles and similar vehicles are quick moving and can easily be used in lighting raids against bases. They can be used to bypass defenses, surprise the enemy and then escape.
There are, of course, defenses against these kinds of attacks. Digging in and using heavy weapons like machine guns would likely help quite a bit. Just having alert troops keeping an eye out for these kinds of attacks could eliminate the element of surprise. And physical barriers could keep these bikes from being used.
But I don't think the military of Mali is that great. Though the tactic is effective, this isn't anywhere near the first time these militants have used this tactic. The fact that it still seems to work very well means that they are not adapting to the enemies tactics.
As for who was responsible for this attack, it could be ISIS or al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda is more likely as they have one of the largest and most effective affiliate branches operating in the region. ISIS has a presence, but they are a meager player in the Mali conflict.
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