Dozens killed in Mali attack by Al Qaeda affiliate

(Reuters) - An elaborate attack by an Al Qaeda affiliate in Mali's capital this week killed some 70 people, diplomatic and security sources said on Thursday, while the government offered no figures on casualties.

Militants attacked an elite police training academy and the airport on Tuesday, demonstrating their ability to strike at the heart of Mali's capital. The country is fighting an insurgency that took root over a decade ago in its arid north.

The scale and complexity of the attacks further undermines the ruling junta's claims that security has improved since it booted out French and U.S. forces, and turned to Russia instead for security.

Two diplomats serving in the region, including one based in Bamako, said the death toll was believed to be in the 70s. Reuters could not independently verify the numbers.

A third diplomat based in the region said hundreds were believed dead and wounded, and hospitals had run out of beds to treat survivors.

Since the conflict in Mali erupted, violence has spread to neighbours in the Sahel region and reached the north of coastal countries. Thousands have been killed and millions displaced in the region, and some fighters are allied with Al Qaeda or Islamic State.

Tuesday's attack was claimed by Al Qaeda affiliate Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM).

Mali's ruling junta has said it suffered some losses, without providing details. A Malian newspaper reported that funerals for some 50 police cadets were to be held on Thursday.

Reuters was unable to obtain further details or confirm the services took place.

The attack was captured in videos published on social media that showed insurgents setting fire to the presidential jet and dead bodies at the police academy.

Only days prior, Mali's junta leader Assimi Goita, who seized power in a coup in 2021, said his army had considerably weakened the armed groups it is fighting with Russia's help.

The attack also comes on the heels of a battle with high casualties in July, when insurgents wiped out scores of experienced Russian mercenaries and Malian forces in fighting near Mali's northern border with Algeria.

(Reporting by Jessica Donati and David Lewis; Writing by Jessica Donati; Editing by Sonali Paul)