Mali: Al Qaeda-Linked Militants Kill 21 Soldiers in Coordinated Assaults

Image: Jihad Watch

Al Qaeda-affiliated militants carried out a series of coordinated attacks in Mali on Tuesday, leaving at least 21 soldiers dead, according to SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S.-based organization that monitors online activities of Islamist extremist networks.

The militant group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which operates as Al Qaeda’s main branch in the Sahel, claimed responsibility for the operation. In a statement, the group said its fighters not only killed dozens of Malian soldiers but also captured two others. They further reported seizing 15 military vehicles and more than 50 firearms, describing the assault as part of a “widescale” offensive against Malian forces.

Mali’s military authorities confirmed on Wednesday that their positions in the central towns of Farabougou and Biriki-Were came under “simultaneous attack” in the early hours of Tuesday. However, the army refrained from releasing an official death toll. A separate military statement acknowledged the intensity of the fighting but provided limited details.

JNIM claimed its fighters had overrun a military barracks and militia bases in Farabougou, further escalating their offensive by detonating an improvised explosive device (IED) against an army vehicle in Mali’s south-central Segou region. The Malian army has so far not responded to this specific claim.

Segou, considered a vital hub in central Mali, has long been a flashpoint in the country’s worsening security crisis. The region has witnessed frequent confrontations among jihadist groups, government troops, and local militias, all battling for control. These clashes are part of a broader insurgency that has engulfed the Sahel for more than a decade, destabilizing not just Mali but also neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Analysts note that JNIM appears to be expanding its strategy beyond traditional rural guerrilla warfare. The group is increasingly working to establish dominance around urban centers, aiming not only for military victories but also for political influence and territorial control. This shift highlights the growing threat posed by jihadist organizations in the Sahel, where fragile states continue to struggle against well-organized insurgent networks.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)