Mali's army said Saturday that a joint patrol found 54 bodies at a camp in Tagadayat. The camp is about 35 kilometers southeast of Menaka. AFP reported the army figure via Citizen Digital. i-Sahel reported the same army count. The 54 figure is the army's own count from its communique. It raises an earlier toll of 48 civilians. The Idaksahak community had reported that toll on October 19, i-Sahel said.

The army said the victims were buried on site. It said nine survivors were taken to Menaka for care. AFP via Citizen Digital and i-Sahel carried those points. The statement is the army's first public word on the killings.

The army said first testimonies pointed to the Islamic State's Sahel branch, AFP reported. i-Sahel also cited that army line. The group has not claimed the attack, i-Sahel reported.

i-Sahel said the patrol was a joint mission with Russian partners. The army said it is helping people from threatened camps move into Menaka. It also said patrols continue in the area. AFP via Citizen Digital and i-Sahel reported those steps.

The camps mainly house members of the Daoussahak community, also known as the Idaksahak. The pro-junta MSA militia comes from that community, AFP reported. A security source in Gao said last week the massacre was payback for recent army operations and MSA attacks, AFP reported.

Mali has faced a security crisis since 2012. Jihadist fighters, separatist groups and criminal gangs all play a role, AFP reported. Menaka is a main base for Islamic State fighters in the Sahel, i-Sahel noted. The earlier NewsHabit card on October 20 carried the provisional toll of at least 48. This new card tracks the army's first response and its higher count.

What we know: Mali's army put the Tagadayat toll at 54 bodies, with nine survivors, and blamed Islamic State Sahel based on first testimonies.
What we don't: A final independent toll, and whether the group will claim the attack.