Gunmen have killed eight people in central Mali , a local official and security ministry staffer said Wednesday , in the latest violence to hit the war – torn Sahel state .
Militants attacked a minibus Tuesday , the officials said , which was travelling between the towns of Bandiagara and Bankass in central Mali ’ s volatile Mopti region, which is prone to frequent jihadist attacks and ethnic killings .
“ Armed men opened fire on the minibus , ” a local government official told AFP , adding that eight people died, four escaped and eight were seriously wounded , three of them children .
An official from Mali ’s security ministry, who also requested anonymity , confirmed the details of the attack and the death toll .
