Mali's government said Thursday it has extended a state of emergency for 10 days after an attack on an army base in the center of the country earlier this week.
Two separate organizations linked to the Peul ethnic group claimed responsibility for the attack early Tuesday that killed 17 soldiers and wounded more than 30 in the city of Nampala.
The Macina Liberation Front, which is said to have ties to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, claimed responsibility for the attack on social media.
The group's attacks in central Mali have raised alarm because it represents an escalation in extremism much further south.
Another group called the National Alliance for the Protection of the Peul Identity and the Restoration of Justice claimed responsibility. It was the first time the group had assaulted a Malian army position.
A state or emergency allows police in Mali to search homes without a warrant, and it bans protests.
The state of emergency was originally put in place in November 2015 after extremists stormed a luxury hotel in the capital and killed 20. The state of emergency has since been extended because of the continuing threat of extremist attacks in the West African country.
