A joint patrol of the Armed Forces of Mali and their allies has found the lifeless bodies of 54 civilians in a camp located in the town of Tagadayat, in the northeast of the country, as part of an attack attributed to the Islamic State, according to a statement released this Saturday by the Malian army in an official note.
The military unit was sent to the area after receiving information that the Malian forces have classified as "terrorist attacks" against civilians in the city of Ménaka, although for the moment neither the exact date of the assaults nor the moment when the bodies were discovered has been specified.
The statement details that nine people have been located alive and are receiving care from the health services in the area. In addition, the army has indicated that the deceased victims have been buried in the very camp where the massacre took place.
The initial investigations carried out by the Malian forces point to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS) as responsible for the massacre, a jihadist faction active in the border area shared by Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
"The first testimonies collected attribute these massacres to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. In response to this barbarity, they have reinforced protective measures for the most exposed populations, particularly facilitating the transfer to the city of Menaka of the inhabitants of the threatened camps," states the communiqué.
In reaction to the aggression, the army has increased security measures to safeguard the most vulnerable population against new insurgent attacks, including the organized transfer of residents from at-risk camps to the urban center of Ménaka, while maintaining reconnaissance patrols and security operations in the region.
In their message, the Armed Forces have "strongly" condemned the massacre, expressed their condolences to the families of the victims, and reiterated their determination to pursue and bring to justice those responsible for these events.