Islamic State fighters kill dozens of civilians in Mali’s Menaka region

Islamic State Sahel Province fighters killed civilians in at least five localities in Mali’s Menaka region over the weekend, with some victims shot and others dying in burning homes. The attacks appear to have been retaliation for alleged killings and other abuses by pro-government forces, and come as Islamic State and al Qaeda-linked groups intensify fighting in the Sahel.

The death toll is provisional, with local sources estimating 48 to more than 70; hundreds of people reportedly fled to Menaka town. A municipal official said MSA militiamen and Russia’s Africa Corps had killed about a dozen people suspected of informing for Islamic State and set homes alight. Separately, ACLED data cited by Human Rights Watch showed Malian forces and Africa Corps carried out 47 drone strikes that killed 94 civilians from April to August, compared with 22 strikes and 44 deaths in the same months a year earlier.