Armed insurgent groups in Mali have claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks on at least seven military installations across the country, marking one of the most significant offensives against the country’s armed forces in recent months.<\/p>\n
In a statement released on Saturday, the al-Qaeda-linked militant group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) said it carried out the assaults alongside its ally, the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). The group also claimed it had seized control of at least three military positions during the operation.<\/p>\n
According to military and security sources, as well as local residents, the attacks began around 5:00 a.m., targeting several towns and a prison. The coordinated offensive follows a growing alliance between JNIM and the FLA, which had previously been divided by ideological differences before joining forces about a year ago.<\/p>\n
The latest attacks come only months after the two groups jointly launched strikes that targeted the airport in Bamako and reportedly killed Mali’s defence minister, underscoring their expanding operational capabilities.<\/p>\n
Mali’s armed forces said soldiers successfully repelled the attacks and declared that the situation was “totally under control.” However, insurgent groups later maintained that fighting was still ongoing in several locations, including Anefis, one of the last military strongholds in the northern Kidal region.<\/p>\n
The renewed violence highlights the persistent security challenges facing Mali’s military-led government, which came to power following coups in 2020 and 2021 with promises to restore stability and defeat armed extremist groups.<\/p>\n
Since assuming power, the military authorities have shifted away from French military support in favour of closer security cooperation with Russia. Despite the change in strategy, insecurity has continued to spread across large parts of the country.<\/p>\n
More recently, Mali has also sought to strengthen ties with the United States as part of broader efforts to enhance security cooperation and explore opportunities in the country’s mining sector.<\/p>\n
The attacks add to concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Mali, where armed insurgencies linked to extremist organizations have persisted for more than a decade, threatening regional stability across the Sahel.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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