This is the first official toll given by the army after the deadly raid.
“Hours after the deadly attack on Dioura, the minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs, the Army Chief of Staff … and the Deputy commander of the UN mission forces in Mali visited to Dioura” the army said in a statement released on Monday.
“They gathered around the graves of the 23 soldiers who fell with their arms on 17 March, 2019, defending the homeland” it added.
The officials paid tribute to the fallen soldiers.
Speaking to the soldiers on the ground, the Defense minister Professor Tiemoko Sangare said: “You are not left by yourselves. You have the support of all peace-loving Malians. Do not listen to the voices of those seeking nothing but the destabilization of the country.”
The minister promised to do his utmost so that the soldiers could fulfill their mission.