Djiguibombo, Mali – An armed group attacked a wedding ceremony in central Mali on Monday evening, killing at least 21 people, according to local residents. The attackers, who arrived on motorcycles, struck the village of Djiguibombo in the town of Bandiagara as residents were celebrating, reported Bakary Guindo, president of the local youth group.

“Most of the victims had their throats slit,” Guindo said. Hamidou Saye, another resident, added that the attackers surrounded the large crowd. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but it follows a pattern of violence by the al-Qaeda-linked extremist group Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), which frequently targets this region.

Since 2012, communities in central and northern Mali have faced persistent violence. Extremist rebels, initially ousted from northern cities in 2013 with the aid of now-expelled French troops, have regrouped and launched attacks on isolated villages and security forces.

Nearly four years into their rule, Mali’s military leaders have struggled to contain the escalating violence, especially after the departure of foreign peacekeepers. The security crisis has been exacerbated by the collapse of a 2015 peace deal with Tuareg rebels in the north.

The ongoing violence underscores the severe instability and danger faced by residents in these regions as extremist groups continue their assaults.