At least 10 civilians were killed Sunday after Malian army drones struck a village gathering ahead of a traditional mass wedding celebration.
The attack happened in Tene locality near the central region of San, according to local residents and security sources speaking to AFP.
Joy quickly turned into grief as families preparing for the festivities instead carried bodies through dust-covered village paths.
A resident said “10 of our children” were killed while villagers prepared the second edition of the community wedding celebration.
He described a village transformed from celebration into mourning, speaking anonymously because of fears over growing violence.
A security source confirmed the strikes and said drones targeted a procession of motorbikes travelling closely together through the area.
The source suggested the unusual motorcycle movement likely drew the attention of military drone operators monitoring the region.
A local elected official also confirmed the deaths, saying at least 10 civilians were killed shortly before the wedding ceremony.
The deadly strikes unfolded amid Mali’s worsening security crisis, which has shaken the ruling military junta in recent months.
Mali has faced intensified attacks since April, when Al-Qaeda-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin joined Tuareg separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front.
Large coordinated assaults on April 25 and 26 targeted strategic northern towns and reportedly killed Mali’s influential defence minister.
Tuareg rebels and militant fighters later seized Kidal and several northern communities before tightening pressure around the capital, Bamako.
Since 2012, Mali has battled a spiralling conflict involving armed insurgents, separatist factions, and criminal networks operating across fragile communities.
