SAA event in Mopti, Bankass area, Mali on Sat 27th January 2024

BAMAKO, Jan 29 (Reuters) - About 30 people were killed in attacks on two villages in central Mali over the weekend, the rural commune's mayor said on Monday.

He did not say who was responsible. The West African country is home to militant groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State that wage frequent attacks on the army and civilians.

The attacks started on Saturday in the villages of Ogota and Oimbe in Bankass circle, in the Mopti region, Bankass Mayor Moulaye Guindo said in a phone interview.

"Armed men burst in, surrounded and attacked the two villages, Ogota and Oimbe, located side by side. They shot at the populations and set fire to the houses," Guindo said.

"The toll is heavy, around 30 deaths including men, women and children. The two villages were completely destroyed and burned," he said.

Another village in the nearby commune of Dialassagou was attacked on Monday morning, but a death toll was not yet available, he added.

The army's spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

Mali is run by a military junta that consolidated power in two coups in 2020 and 2021, teamed up with Russian military contractor Wagner Group, and kicked out French troops and U.N. peacekeepers.

In the latest sign of upheaval, the junta last week ended a 2015 peace deal with Tuareg separatists that have led a long-simmering rebellion in its desert north. The peace agreement had been unravelling as fighting picked up again last year.