More than 70 people, including over 50 soldiers, killed in Mali terrorist attack: officials

At least 50 Malian soldiers were killed in an attack by terrorists and Tuareg separatists as they left the strategic northern town of Anefis, officials said on Sunday.

The attack on the army convoy leaving Anefis occurred on Saturday, following weeks of fighting with both sides attempting to take control.

In early July, FLA Tuareg separatists and an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group briefly captured the town and encircled a military base used by the Malian army and Russian paramilitaries from Africa Corps.

Both the terrorist group and the Tuareg separatists claimed responsibility for the attack.

'Heavy' toll

"The provisional toll of the attack is extremely heavy – more than 50 soldiers killed and at least 24 prisoners," a local elected official, close to the ruling government, told AFP.

The official, who asked to remain anonymous, said it was the deadliest attack suffered by the Malian army in years.

"Some of our men were executed," said a source within the Malian army, adding that an investigation was underway to determine any tactical failures.

"We are trying to see what could really have made our men so vulnerable," he said.

'Fallen into an ambush'

The Russian paramilitaries supporting the army had already arrived in Gao, their destination, when the attack happened and did not suffer losses, sources told AFP.

"No Russians were killed. The dead are from the army and the state-backed militias," a community leader from the Gao region said.

On Saturday, the army acknowledged the convoy had "fallen into an ambush laid by terrorist armed groups", without providing casualty figures.