National guard attacks armed police who had supported Mali coup, 1 killed

BAMAKO, Mali – A Mali government spokesman says clashes between national soldiers and armed police have killed one soldier and injured a policeman.

Manga Dembele said Saturday that an investigation has been opened into the fighting after soldiers attacked a camp occupied by police who supported a coup led by Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo last year. He said 16 police officers were arrested.

This latest clash highlights the divisions that persist within Mali's security forces.

The coup unleashed political chaos in Mali, allowing radical Islamic fighters to seize control of the country's north. A French-led military mission began in January to rout the fighters from the region.

Sanogo nominally handed over power to a transitional government, though observers say he has continued to play a role from behind the scenes.