A wave of synchronised assaults by jihadist fighters has rocked Mali, targeting military installations across seven towns, including Binoli, Kayes, and Sandere, in what marks the third major offensive on the Army within a month. The Malian military claims to have repelled the attacks on Tuesday morning, killing over 80 militants and seizing weapons, vehicles, and motorcycles. However, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-affiliated group, claimed responsibility and asserted that it had seized control of three Army barracks during the coordinated operations.
While the Malian Defence Forces, represented by Col Souleymane Dembele, stated on national television that “the enemy suffered significant losses,” the overall casualty toll remains unclear. Local residents reported scenes of chaos and fear, with one eyewitness in Kayes describing gunfire and smoke emanating near the governor’s residence. JNIM described the attacks as “co-ordinated and high quality” on social media, adding to a growing list of recent operations, including deadly assaults on a military base and airport in Timbuktu and another raid that left at least 30 soldiers dead.
The attacks signal a deepening crisis in Mali’s battle against jihadist insurgencies and underscore a broader regional threat across the Sahel. The United States Africa Command (Africom) has raised alarms over the increasing sophistication and ambition of extremist groups in the region. General Michael Langley warned in May that if such groups gain access to West Africa’s coastal zones, it could exponentially increase their capacity for arms smuggling and destabilisation, compounding an already volatile security landscape.