Armed groups suspected of belonging to Al-Qaeda launched a large-scale and coordinated attack targeting three industrial facilities in the Bafoolabi district of the Kayes region in western Mali, resulting in serious material losses and the kidnapping of a number of workers.
According to local sources, the attack was carried out by between 150 and 200 armed men who arrived on motorcycles before dividing into groups and targeting cement factories, where they set fire to warehouses and heavy equipment, leading to a complete cessation of production.
The Malian authorities are intensifying their efforts to determine the fate of the kidnapped workers, while the attack raised widespread concerns about the escalation of the activity of terrorist groups in the west of the country and its impact on security and economic stability.
