Malian forces have arrested five people suspected of involvement in an attack that left 11 soldiers dead, but the release of a former top jihadist sparked outrage among human rights groups. The latest arrests come as the west African country, which has seen several uprisings since independence from France in 1960, looks to implement a peace deal despite continuing unrest from militant groups and spreading jihadist attacks since the beginning of the year. According to army spokesman Colonel Souleymane Maiga, the five people detained near the site of Monday's attack in northern Mali were suspected of links with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the jihadist group that claimed the assault.