The explosion occurred near the central town of Bandiagara An attack on a military base on Friday left 49 Malian soldiers dead BAMAKO: Two Malian soldiers were killed and another six injured when their armored vehicle hit an improvised explosive device, the army said Sunday. “A vehicle of the Malian armed forces hit an improvised explosive device” near the central town of Bandiagara, the military said in a tweet. It was the latest in a string of attacks underscoring the fragility of an area straddling several West African countries which is battling a surge in extremist violence that has claimed hundreds of lives. An attack on a military base on Friday left 49 Malian soldiers dead in the eastern Menaka region near the border with Niger. On Saturday, a French soldier died in the same region after his armored vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. The Daesh group on Saturday claimed responsiblity for both attacks.