Mali’s military said Thursday that Islamist militants attacked two more army positions this week, adding to a surge in violence that has killed hundreds and exposed growing security challenges for the junta.
On Thursday morning, reinforcements were deployed to Mahou in eastern Mali, near the Burkina Faso border, after an assault on a security post. The attack was claimed by Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al Qaeda-affiliated group.
On Wednesday, militants also attacked a military base in Tessit, near the Niger and Burkina Faso borders. An official from a nearby town said the camp was overtaken and residents were fleeing. Though no group has claimed responsibility, analysts suspect the Islamic State’s Sahel branch.
The recent escalation includes Sunday’s assault on a base in Boulkessi that reportedly killed dozens of soldiers. JNIM claimed over 100 soldiers and mercenaries were killed and said 20 more were captured. The group also claimed responsibility for Monday’s strike on Timbuktu’s military airport, reportedly targeting Russian personnel.
Mali’s army described a “resurgence of cowardly and barbaric attacks” and launched counter-offensives in six locations on Wednesday alone. The military did not disclose casualties and declined to comment on reports of losses.
JNIM also said it bombed Malian and Russian forces near the capital, Bamako, on Wednesday—a claim not yet verified by authorities. Security consultancy Control Risks said the claim appeared credible and warned of more attacks near Bamako.
Since coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali’s junta has cut military ties with the West and deepened cooperation with Russia, but violence by armed groups has spread across the country.