At least 20 killed in central Mali airstrike, witnesses say

At least 20 people have been killed in an airstrike on a village in central Mali where Islamic extremists had confronted a wedding party, witnesses said Tuesday.

The French military, which carries out operations against jihadist rebels operating in the region, declined to comment on the reported deaths and there was no immediate comment from the Malian government.

A man wounded in the strike told The Associated Press that the extremists had approached a group of civilians celebrating a wedding on Sunday, demanding that the men in attendance separate from the women.