Mali has faced a wave of coordinated attacks from jihadist fighters targeting military posts in several towns, marking a troubling escalation in violence. On Tuesday morning, Mali's army reported that they repelled these assaults, claiming to have "neutralised" over 80 militants. However, the group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), linked to al-Qaeda, asserts it took control of three army barracks.
For more than ten years, Mali has battled a deadly Islamist insurgency compounded by separatist movements. According to army spokesperson Col Souleymane Dembele, the militants suffered significant losses at various sites. The military recovered weapons, vehicles, and motorcycles from the attackers.
The attacks occurred in multiple towns, including Binoli, Kayes, and Sandere near the Senegal border. A local resident described the chaos: "We woke up in shock... gunfire and smoke billowing towards the governor's residence." JNIM proclaimed its strikes as “co-ordinated and high quality” but did not disclose potential casualties.
These incidents are part of a broader trend of rising insecurity in Mali and the Sahel region, coinciding with U.S. Africa Command (Africom) warnings about jihadist groups expanding their influence towards West Africa’s coastline. General Michael Langley referred to the growing threat in a recent press conference, citing recent violence in Nigeria and the Sahel as alarming and a potential boost to illegal trafficking activities.
