Over 70 people died and 200 were injured in Tuesday's jihadist attack on the gendarmerie school and military airport in Bamako, the capital of Mali, according to the AFP agency, citing military sources.

West African bloc ECOWAS on Wednesday strongly condemned jihadist attacks which a day earlier hit the Malian capital where locals voiced concern and questions remained about the rare and deadly strike.

The Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin claimed responsibility for attacks on a gendarmerie training center and parts of the Modibo Keita International Airport on Tu7.

The main Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist group in Mali struck a forceful blow to the ruling junta when it hit highly sensitive military targets in the capital Bamako, underscoring its two-pronged strategy of territorial expansion and harassment,

Since the conflict in Mali erupted, violence has spread to neighbours in the Sahel region and reached the north of coastal countries. Thousands have been killed and millions displaced in the region, and some fighters are allied with Al Qaeda or Islamic State.

Over 70 people were killed and 200 were injured in Tuesday’s jihadist attack on a gendarmerie school and military airport in Bamako, the capital of Mali, according to AFP, citing military sources. The junta ruling the country since 2021,