BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Armed men attacked a Mali community just over the border from Senegal, Mali's military said Tuesday — a development that one expert called especially worrying as the deadly violence spreads.
The al-Qaida-linked JNIM extremist group claimed responsibility for the coordinated attack on several Malian army positions in the country's west and central regions.
One position was in Diboli, across the border from Senegal, which has been largely spared the extremist attacks.
“The border region to Senegal is a major gateway for trade and imports from Dakar ports to Mali that had been relatively stable for years,” said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. “This will also worry border communities in Senegal.”
Malian army spokesperson Col. Majo Souleymane Dembélé said on national television that the army had “neutralized” 80 attackers. There were no details on any casualties among soldiers.
Mali, a landlocked nation in the semiarid Sahel region, for more than a decade has battled an insurgency by armed groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Following military coups, Mali's authorities have expelled French forces and turned to Russia’s mercenary units for assistance, but the security situation has been deteriorating.
Attacks by extremists have been on the rise in Mali and neighboring Burkina Faso in recent weeks. JNIM has established a strong presence in both.
AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
FILE - Mali's Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, Maj Gen Oumar Diarra salutes as he inspects the military during an independence day military parade in Bamako, Mali, Sept. 22, 2022. (AP Photo, file)
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian rescuers recovered a second body Sunday in the ongoing search for a Spanish soccer coach and two of his children who went missing after a tour boat sank during their Christmas holiday.
The rescue team retrieved the body floating near Padar island, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the site of the sinking, said Fathur Rahman, the Maumere Search and Rescue Office chief.
The newly recovered body remains unidentified by authorities, but is believed to be that of a member of the family who was on a holiday in Indonesia’s Komodo National Park area. Rahman said the body was transported to a hospital in Labuan Bajo, a gateway town to the park in eastern Indonesia, for identification.
The family holiday in the park area turned tragic for Valencia CF Women’s B coach Fernando Martín, 44, when the boat carrying him, his wife, their four children, four crew members and a local guide, sank on the evening of Dec. 26 after suffering engine failure.
Martín’s wife and one child, along with the four crew members and the guide, were rescued in the hours following the incident. But Martin, his two sons and another daughter, aged 9, 10 and 12, were unaccounted for.
Rescuers found the first victim, the 12-year-old Spanish girl, three days later floating near the northern waters of Serai island, about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from the site of the sinking. Indonesian authorities confirmed with Martin's wife and through medical and forensic identification that the girl was one of the missing children.
Rahman said the Spanish government and families of the victims have been deeply involved. Spain’s ambassador formally requested continued reinforcement of the search in a Dec. 31 letter. Under Indonesian law, search operations typically last seven days, but can be extended if there are signs or chances of finding victims.
“We are determined to find all the victims,” said Rahman, following a review by the joint SAR team that extended operations to Jan. 4. “We remain optimistic that the hard work of all SAR elements will yield results during this extended operation.”
The search operation, on its tenth day Sunday, continued for the remaining family members. Efforts have been reinforced with more than 160 personnel, supported by police and the navy, who were combing four sectors in inflatable boats, navy ships and rescue vessels equipped with sonar equipment and underwater navigation gear across the Komodo National Park waters. Divers were also deployed.
Komodo National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its rugged landscapes, pristine beaches and an endangered lizard, the Komodo dragon. The park attracts thousands of international visitors for diving, trekking and wildlife tours.
Indonesia is an archipelago with more than 17,000 islands, where boats are a common form of transportation. With lax safety standards and problems with overcrowding, accidents occur frequently.
In this photo released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, rescuers recover a body believed to be one of the victims of a tourist boat that sank on Dec. 26, in the waters near Padar Island in Komodo National Park, Indonesia. (BASARNAS via AP)
In this photo released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, rescuers recover a body believed to be one of the victims of a tourist boat that sank on Dec. 26, in the waters near Padar Island in Komodo National Park, Indonesia. (BASARNAS via AP)
