The death toll in Sunday’s attack on Sokolo Army camp in central Mali has risen to 24.

The operation has been claimed by Al-Qaeda affiliate Nusrat al-Islam (JNIM), a group active in the Maghreb and West Africa regions.

The attackers reportedly took the servicemen by surprise.

Militants stormed the base on motorbikes then opened fire on the soldiers.

Videos released by pro-jihadist outlets shows a cache of small arms, several pickup trucks and other equipment purportedly seized by the attackers.

The Malian military have confirmed the loss of equipment but did not provide any detail on the scale of losses.

The incident came two weeks after a major assault on an army base in Niger.

That attack came less than a month after another attack on an outpost that killed 71 soldiers, left over 100 soldiers wounded.

Nigerien President, Mahamadou Issoufou sacked Ahmed Mohamed, head of the country’s Army after the attack.

Salifou Modi, a major general, who was immediately appointed, said Niger would launch a new military offensive against militants.