Claims extracted
17
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
12%
2 of 17 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
66/100
The Straits Times's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
5
World
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Islamic State-linked militants kill at least 48 civilians in eastern Mali, sources say
BAMAKO, Oct 20 - Islamic State-linked militants have killed at least 48 people in Mali in apparent retaliation for an attack on suspected informants by pro-government forces including members of Russia's Africa Corps, two security sources and two local officials told Reuters.
asserted
sources → link → Reuters
The violence at the weekend in the eastern Menaka region comes amid intensifying combat between the regional Islamic State group and al Qaeda affiliates, compounding insecurity in West Africa's Sahel region.
asserted
violence → come → region
The attacks by fighters from Islamic State Sahel Province took place in at least five localities in Menaka and the overall toll was still being determined on Tuesday, said the four sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from Mali's government.
asserted
who → take → government
They appeared to be in response to abuses allegedly carried out last week in the area by a pro-government militia known as MSA and Africa Corps, the Russian paramilitary group that backs Bamako, the sources said.
uncertain
sources → appear → Bamako
The militiamen from MSA who accompanied (Mali's army) and Africa Corps committed abuses against civilians suspected of being informants for the Islamic State," a municipal official in Menaka said.
asserted
official → accompany → Menaka
"They killed about a dozen people, set fire to houses, and stole other property.
asserted
They → kill → property
"
During the retaliatory attacks on Sunday, ISSP set houses on fire and stole livestock, sending hundreds of civilians fleeing to Menaka town, said the four sources, who provided provisional death tolls ranging from 48 to more than 70.
asserted
who → set → 70
Some of the civilians died in the fires and others were shot, the sources said.
asserted
sources → die → fires
ISSP has not claimed responsibility for the incident.
asserted
ISSP → claim → incident
A Malian military spokesperson and Russia's embassy in Bamako did not respond to a request for comment.
asserted
spokesperson → respond → comment
Mali has previously denied killing civilians in counterinsurgency operations.
asserted
Mali → deny → operations
CLASHES INTENSIFY BETWEEN RIVAL JIHADIST GROUPS
asserted
CLASHES → intensify → GROUPS
Mali has been battling insurgents since 2012 when Tuareg separatists and al Qaeda-linked militants first swept across the country's north, triggering a French military intervention.
asserted
separatists → battle → intervention
The regional al Qaeda affiliate, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, and the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front staged nationwide attacks in April that killed the defence minister and hit the main airport in Bamako.
asserted
that → lead → Bamako
In recent weeks JNIM has been locked in fierce fighting with ISSP.
asserted
JNIM → lock → ISSP
Last week, ISSP said it had killed 400 JNIM fighters after thwarting an attempted JNIM ambush in neighbouring Burkina Faso, which if confirmed would make it the deadliest single battle between the two groups.
asserted
it → say → groups
ISSP and JNIM engaged in their first skirmishes in 2019 and have since clashed hundreds of times, resulting in more than 2,000 deaths, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, a conflict monitoring group.
uncertain
ISSP → engage → Data
The Aporia
