Mali declares 3 days of mourning after attacks kill dozens

By BABA AHMED
Associated Press

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Malian authorities have declared three days of national mourning to begin Thursday after a pair of weekend attacks killed dozens of soldiers and police officers. The Malian military says 42 soldiers died in a dramatic assault on forces in the northern region of Gao. Authorities say the extremists used drones, artillery and booby-trapped vehicles in Sunday’s attack. That same day in southern Mali, other extremists attacked a police station, killing five officers. The attack on the Sona station near the border with Burkina Faso was later claimed by militants with the al-Qaida-linked group known as JNIM.