Islamic State-linked jihadists kill at least 40 civilians in Mali amid turf war

Civilians caught up in bloody rivalry between IS and al-Qaida militants in a week when France announced withdrawal

An Islamic State-linked group has killed around 40 civilians caught up in a rivalry between warring jihadist groups in Mali's conflict-plagued north.

There were at least 40 civilian deaths in three different sites" during a week of bloodshed in the Tessit area near the borders of Burkina Faso and Niger, a civilian official in the area told AFP.