May 04, 2013 - 1:37 PM
BAMAKO, Mali - The head of public relations for the Malian military confirmed that two Malian soldiers and three jihadists were killed during a patrol outside the northern Malian city of Gao, after a suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated his explosive vest.
Lt. Col. Souleymane Maiga says the incident occurred Saturday at around 1:30 p.m. during a search in Amakouladji, located 45 kilometres (30 miles) north of Gao. The city of Gao was occupied for nearly a year by the al-Qaida-linked Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa.
Maiga said the unit spotted a suspected jihadist on a scooter and stopped him. While they were searching him, a car surged forward and opened fire on the soldiers. At the same moment, the jihadist on the motorcycle detonated his explosives.
News from © The Associated Press, 2013