A wave of simultaneous jihadist attacks struck military posts across several towns in Mali on Tuesday morning, marking the third large-scale assault against the Malian army in the past month and further highlighting the deepening security crisis in the Sahel region. According to a statement from the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), more than 80 militants were “neutralized” during the attacks, which took place in at least seven locations, including the towns of Binoli, Kayes, and Sandere near the Senegalese border, as well as in areas bordering Mauritania.
The offensive was claimed by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group that has been at the forefront of Mali’s decade-long insurgency. JNIM boasted in a social media statement that its fighters had captured three army barracks and described the assault as “coordinated and high quality.” However, the Malian military maintains it successfully repelled the attacks, recovering a cache of weapons, motorcycles, and vehicles from the fleeing militants. No official report has been released regarding casualties on the side of the army or civilians.
Speaking on national television, Malian army spokesperson Colonel Souleymane Dembélé confirmed the successful counteroffensive, noting that “the enemy suffered significant losses in every location where they engaged with the security and defence forces.” Residents in some of the affected towns, such as Kayes, described the scenes as terrifying. “We woke up in shock this morning. There’s gunfire, and from my house I can see smoke billowing towards the governor’s residence,” a local witness told AFP.
The attacks add to a string of recent assaults attributed to JNIM, which is expanding its operational reach across Mali and neighboring states. On June 2nd, the group launched an attack on an army base and airport in the northern city of Timbuktu, while a separate raid on June 1st resulted in the deaths of at least 30 soldiers in central Mali. These incidents are consistent with an uptick in militant operations across the region.
The escalation comes amid growing international concern over the expanding influence of Islamist militant groups in the Sahel. The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has recently warned that al-Qaeda and ISIS-affiliated networks are intensifying efforts to access West Africa’s coastal states, which would allow greater control over smuggling routes and arms trafficking.
General Michael Langley, head of AFRICOM, stated during a May press briefing that the surge in attacks in countries such as Mali, Nigeria, and the Lake Chad Basin is a serious threat to regional and international stability. He warned that these extremist groups are actively seeking to establish new logistical corridors to West Africa’s coastal regions, a move that could significantly strengthen their operational capabilities and global connections.
Mali, which has seen increasing political instability since military coups in 2020 and 2021, continues to face persistent challenges in containing insurgent violence despite ongoing military operations. The country has also distanced itself from traditional Western allies, choosing to cooperate more closely with private Russian military contractors—a shift that has further complicated regional security dynamics.
As the Malian government and regional partners work to contain the growing threat, the attacks underscore the urgent need for a coordinated and robust response to prevent jihadist groups from expanding their foothold and destabilizing the entire West African sub-region.
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