Mali fighters storm prison near Bamako and burn food trucks
Fighters from the al-Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, have attacked Kenieroba Central Prison near Mali's capital and set fire to trucks carrying food supplies to Bamako.
The prison is about 60km southwest of the city.
The detention centre holds 2,500 prisoners, including at least 72 inmates described as high value by the Malian state.
The row says Malian armed forces were repelling the attack as it unfolded.
The assault adds pressure on a capital already facing disruption to supply routes.
The burning of food trucks heading to Bamako points to a wider effort to hit both security and logistics targets.
The prison is a recently built complex that has been described as a major detention site for fighters and others arrested after recent unrest.
Those held there include JNIM fighters and people detained after large-scale attacks last month involving JNIM and the Tuareg separatist Azawad Liberation Front.
Those earlier attacks targeted several military bases across multiple cities and led to the capture of the northern city of Kidal.
