Malian Army Kills 80 Militants in Response to Coordinated Attacks on Military Posts

Mali’s armed forces say they have killed over 80 al-Qaeda-linked militants following a wave of coordinated attacks on military positions in the central and western parts of the country.

The attacks, which occurred on Tuesday, 1 July, reportedly struck seven towns: Diboli near the Senegalese border, and Nioro du Sahel, Kayes, Sandere, Gogoui, Molodo, and Niono. They came just days after the army killed several local militant leaders.

The armed forces announced FAMaTV, the military’s television channel, citing the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIRPA) of the Armed Forces.

The enemies of peace first attacked civilians and several positions of the defence and security forces. We were confronted with simultaneous and coordinated attacks backed by sponsors whose presence was confirmed during today’s operations”, said Colonel Souleymane Dembélé, head of DIRPA.

He added: “The enemy suffered heavy losses wherever it attempted to strike the FDS. The provisional toll indicates that more than 80 terrorists were killed, and a significant cache of weapons, ammunition, motorcycles, and vehicles was recovered.”

The jihadist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) claimed responsibility and said it had taken control of three military barracks during the offensive. In response, the authorities in Kayes and Dioïla imposed a 30-day overnight curfew, effective the same day, to prevent further attacks.

This latest assault followed a string of jihadist operations in Mali. On 23 May, JNIM fighters overran the Dioura military base, killing 41 soldiers. On 1 June, they seized the Boulikessi base, with reports of at least 100 Malian and Wagner troops killed. The group also launched a car-bomb and gun assault in Timbuktu on 2 June, which left 13 attackers dead, according to the army.

Despite these blows, Malian forces have reported some key victories. In late May, the army repelled an attack in Mourdiah, killing dozens of jihadists. On 1 June, joint forces under the Confederation of Sahel States (CSS) reclaimed several key towns, including Boukessi, Mondoro, Tessit, Kimparana, Kidal, and Ménaka. They reportedly destroyed jihadist bases, captured weapons, and arrested militants.

The CSS, which comprises Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, says its coordinated military campaigns have killed over 4,200 terrorists since 2023. Mali accounts for between 1,500 and 2,000 of those deaths. The success of the alliance countries is attributed to enhanced regional cooperation and reduced reliance on foreign military partners.

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