More than 70 people are thought to have been killed in an attack by an al-Qaeda-linked group on Mali’s capital Bamako earlier this week, according to diplomatic and security sources.

Insurgents hit base in Mali that hosts most of the country’s military aircraft and Russian mercenaries hired by military government for security.

Attack on police training academy and nearby airport one of the worst since unrest began more than a decade ago.

Since the conflict in Mali erupted, violence has spread to neighbours in the Sahel region and reached the north of coastal countries. Thousands have been killed and millions displaced in the region, and some fighters are allied with Al Qaeda or Islamic State.

This week, an Al Qaeda affiliate conducted a lethal attack in Mali's capital, killing around 70 people. The insurgents targeted a police training academy and the airport, undermining the junta's claims of improved security.