An al-Qaeda-affiliated group, Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), has claimed responsibility for a deadly assault on the Malian town of Boulikessi, seizing control of an army base and killing more than 30 soldiers, according to reports from Reuters. The death toll has yet to be officially confirmed by Malian authorities.
The attack occurred on Sunday, with heavy casualties. On Monday, JNIM announced a second offensive targeting military forces in the historic northern city of Timbuktu.
In a statement responding to the Boulikessi assault, Mali’s army said its forces “reacted vigorously” before carrying out what it described as a tactical retreat. “Many men fought, some until their last breath, to defend the Malian nation,” the army said, honouring the bravery of its troops.
A local source quoted by Reuters confirmed that JNIM had left behind numerous casualties and had “cleared the camp,” further highlighting the growing vulnerability of Mali’s armed forces.
The attacks are the latest in a string of deadly incidents across Mali and the wider Sahel region, where Islamist insurgents have gained ground amid political instability and weakened state control. The security situation has deteriorated significantly in recent months, with militants reportedly killing more than 400 soldiers in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger since the beginning of May.
The surge in violence comes just days after US Africa Command (Africom) sounded the alarm about escalating extremist activity in the region. During a press conference on Friday, Africom Commander Gen. Michael Langley described the recent attacks in Nigeria, the Sahel, and the Lake Chad Basin as deeply troubling. He warned that if militant groups gain further access to West Africa’s coastline, their capacity for smuggling and arms trafficking could be significantly enhanced, exacerbating regional instability.
Mali, which has seen successive coups and the withdrawal of French and UN forces, remains at the epicentre of this worsening crisis. As jihadist groups continue to expand their reach, regional and international stakeholders face increasing pressure to respond to a rapidly collapsing security landscape.
Melissa Enoch
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