A death toll of 50 was reported after violence in Mali, according to initial reports. At least 48 of the dead were civilians. The assailants were described as armed men with links to the Islamic State militant group. The report attributed the killings to that affiliation, though it did not set out the evidence behind the claim. The identities of the victims and the exact location of the attack were not included in the initial account. Nor did the report say whether the toll covered a single attack or a broader outbreak of fighting.