At least 17 soldiers have been killed and 30 others injured in an attack on a military base in Mali. Officials said heavily armed men overran the base, in the central town of Nampala, and set parts of it on fire. Two separate groups have claimed responsibility for the attack. There are a number of armed groups in Mali, encompassing ethnic and jihadist concerns.
A recently formed group said it attacked the base in response to the Malian army attacking the Fulani ethnic group. But the Islamist militant group Ansar Dine also said it was responsible. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita called a security meeting with the Prime Minister, Defence Minister and Commanders of the armed forces after being made aware of the deaths.