Senegal bans motorbikes near Mali border amid security fears

Senegal officials have imposed a nighttime ban on motorcycles in an eastern region after terrorists used motorbikes in recent attacks in towns just over the border in Mali.

A decree published this week said the prohibition was for "security reasons", after attackers targeted army positions in several Malian towns on July 1, killing at least one civilian.

One of the Malian towns, Diboli, is less than 500 metres from Kidira in Senegal.

The midnight-to-dawn motorbike ban applies to the Bakel region in Senegal, which stretches around 230 kilometres (140 miles) along the border with Mali.

The July 1 attacks in Mali were claimed by JNIM, an terrorist group affiliated with Al Qaeda that is active in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

Contacted by AFP on Saturday, the local administration of the Bakel region declined to comment on the motorbike ban.

Mali has been gripped by insecurity and violence from Al Qaeda and Daesh-linked groups for over a decade.