Mali's Armed Forces Repel Coordinated Attacks by Jihadist Fighters

World News

Mali's Armed Forces Repel Coordinated Attacks by Jihadist Fighters

5 months ago

News sources:

REUTERS

BBC

AFRICANEWS

Mali's Armed Forces Repel Coordinated Attacks by Jihadist Fighters

Credited from: REUTERS

Coordinated attacks on seven towns in Mali by jihadist fighters.
Mali's military claims to have killed 80 militants during the assaults.
The Islamist group JNIM claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Mali's armed forces reported a series of coordinated attacks by jihadist fighters across multiple military positions on Tuesday. The assaults targeted seven towns, notably in the central and western regions of the country, leading to significant clashes, according to Reuters and BBC.

The military announced it had repelled the attacks, claiming to have "neutralized" over 80 militants. However, the jihadist group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) stated it had taken control of three army barracks during the coordinated attacks, which it described as "coordinated and high-quality," as detailed by Africanews and BBC.

The incidents highlight a persistent challenge in Mali, where the government, ruled by a military junta since 2020, continues to confront various insurgent groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. In addition, U.S. Africa Command (Africom) has warned that the Sahel region, including Mali, has become the "epicenter of terrorism," complicating the already volatile security landscape, according to Reuters and Africanews.