DaKar - Fourteen Malian soldiers were killed in a clash with militants this week, the army said on Thursday, giving a new toll in an attack claimed by a group linked to al-Qaeda. Fighting erupted when an army unit was hit by roadside bombs between the towns of Mopti and Segou in central Mali. in a statement to aFP on Thursday, the army said 14 soldiers died and 11 were wounded, while 31 “terrorists” were killed. on Wednesday, army and police officers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at least 12 soldiers had died. The al-Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility for a two-part attack in the Mopti region, according to a statement authenticated by american nGo SiTe, which specialises in monitoring radical groups. The group said it had killed “five Wagner mercenaries and seven from the Malian army