Over 100 Soldiers Killed as JNIM Intensifies Attacks on Mali’s Military

Streets of Bamako during the 2020 Malian coup d’état, Mariama Diallo (VOA), Public domain | Jihad Watch

More than 100 Malian soldiers were killed in a major jihadist attack in central Mali earlier this month, according to security and diplomatic sources. While the army has not confirmed the death toll, it said its troops were evacuated from the targeted military camp and that retaliatory operations against militant positions continued for more than a week.

The attacks, carried out on September 10 in the towns of Dioura and Sevare, were attributed to the al Qaeda-linked militant group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM). The assaults mark another significant escalation in the insurgency facing Mali’s military-led government, which came to power following coups in 2020 and 2021.

According to a security source, around 130 soldiers were killed during the Dioura assault, with more than 100 others reportedly taken hostage. A separate diplomatic source estimated the death toll at about 120 soldiers, underscoring the scale of the attack despite slight differences in reported figures.

The violence follows a broader campaign by JNIM and its allies. In April, the group coordinated with the Tuareg-led separatist alliance FLA in nationwide attacks that reportedly killed Mali’s defence minister and targeted the country’s main airport, highlighting the continuing challenge posed by insurgent groups.

Residents also reported that Sevare airport came under shelling for six consecutive nights. One local witness said dozens of wounded Malian soldiers and Russian fighters were being treated at a hospital in Sevare, while Russian troops were no longer visible in the town by Monday. Meanwhile, residents of Konna, about 55 km from Sevare, said JNIM fighters on motorcycles appeared to have surrounded a nearby military camp, raising fears of further clashes in the region.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)