With the country focused on the horrific death-toll in Pedrógão Grande, news has emerged of a terrorist attack at a tourist resort in Mali that has claimed the life of a 40-year-old Portuguese army sergeant serving with the European Union multi-national military training mission.
Paiva Benido was a father of two from Valongo.
The attack was carried out by three jihadists at Bamako, all of whom appear to have escaped.
Another Portuguese soldier was injured in the assault which involved jihadist storming the resort compound, and shooting indiscriminately.
According to a statement from the bMajor General of the Armed Forces, the second soldier has made a complete recovery.
There was one other fatality in the attack that took place on Sunday: a French national, reports the Guardian, explaining that Mali “has been battling a jihadi insurgency for several years, with Islamist fighters roaming the north and centre”.
In November 2015, gunmen took guests and staff hostage at Bamako’s Radisson Blu hotel, leaving “at least 20 people dead, including 14 foreigners”.
Responsibility for the attack was claimed by Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghred (AQIM), says the paper.
