Mali army says dozens of militants killed in base battle

Mali's army said its forces killed dozens of Islamist militants during a battle for control of a military base, describing fierce fighting between government troops and armed groups in the surrounding area. In a statement, the army said its soldiers held their positions throughout the assault and inflicted heavy losses on the attackers.

The clash comes amid Mali's long-running conflict with Islamist militant groups, which have carried out repeated attacks on military installations and civilian areas across the country's north and center in recent years. The army disputed separate claims, reportedly circulated by the militants themselves, that fighters had seized control of the garrison, saying such reports were inaccurate and that its forces remained in command of the base.

Neither the death toll given by the army nor the militants' competing account of the battle could be independently verified. Access to the area remains restricted, and previous clashes in Mali have frequently produced conflicting casualty figures from the parties involved.