On the morning of September 17, 2024, Mali’s capital, Bamako, was hit by attacks targeting a gendarmerie school in the Faladié district and a military zone at Bamako-Sénou airport, where army drones are stationed. The al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) claimed responsibility for the assault.
Gunfire began around 5 a.m., lasting three hours at the gendarmerie school, while clashes at the airport zone continued into the afternoon. The Malian army stated that the situation was “under control” and launched search operations in the area. The attack coincided with the upcoming trial of suspects over the overpriced military equipment, tied to the presidential plane purchase scandal and who are detained at the gendarmerie school.
JNIM’s Katiba Macina claimed in two communiqués that they had seized control of the military airport, caused significant casualties, and destroyed numerous vehicles and aircraft, including setting fire to the presidential plane. Videos circulated by the jihadists showed them firing into the airport and attacking empty areas.
“A few casualties” were reported by the authorities, while Jnim claimed to have inflicted ‘heavy losses on Wagner’s mercenaries’ and ‘destroyed numerous aircraft and vehicles’. According to eyewitness accounts, the attack left a large number of people dead, and dozens of wounded flocked to hospitals in the capital.
This attack occurred a day after the first anniversary of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and shortly after a speech by Mali’s transitional president, Colonel Assimi Goïta, who had declared terrorist groups “considerably weakened.” The assault demonstrated that JNIM’s reach extends beyond northern and central Mali, shaking the security landscape in Bamako and other key cities.