Addis Ababa - The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat condemned the coordinated terrorist attacks in Mali, as expressed in a statement released on Thursday.

Mahamat criticized the attacks perpetrated against the Boulkessy and Mondoro barracks, near the border with Burkina Faso, on September 30 and October 1, one of the worst in recent years in that West African nation.

So far, the attacks have not been claimed by any radical group and the preliminary reported death toll is 40 (25 military personnel), while some 60 soldiers are missing.

'The President of the Commission offers his deepest condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and wishes a speedy recovery to the wounded,' the statement read.

The Malian battalion of the regional G5 Sahel Force, composed of troops from Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger and Mauritania, is headquartered in the Boulkessy barracks, where the most intense clashes occurred.

According to the release, the Chadian politician and diplomat assured that the African Union will continue its efforts to raise awareness among the international community to work together and provide resources to combat violence in the Sahel.