A rebel group affiliated with Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a military base in central Mali, near the Burkina Faso border. According to two security sources, over 30 Malian soldiers were killed during the assault on Sunday.
The group, Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), confirmed in a statement that its fighters captured the Boulkessi base. The Malian army, in its statement, acknowledged it had to withdraw, noting that many soldiers fought bravely until their last breath, but did not provide specific casualty figures. A spokesperson for the army did not respond to inquiries about the death toll.
A municipal official from nearby Mondoro said the insurgents overran the camp completely, causing numerous fatalities. Videos circulating online appeared to show dozens of militants overwhelming the base, with one video showing fighters stepping over the bodies of fallen soldiers. Reuters has not independently verified the footage.
Rising Insecurity in the Sahel Region
JNIM has claimed responsibility for several attacks across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in recent weeks. On May 24, the group said it attacked a base in Dioura, central Mali, killing 40 soldiers. Last Friday, it claimed to have captured a base in Sirakorola in southwestern Mali, though the army said it had repelled the assault without providing casualty figures.
In Burkina Faso, JNIM said it launched multiple attacks in mid-May on military positions and the town of Djibo, claiming the lives of 200 soldiers. In Niger, over 100 soldiers were killed in two separate attacks in the Tahoua and Dosso regions on May 24 and May 26, according to security sources. However, no official death toll has been released by Burkina Faso or Niger.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are currently governed by military juntas that seized power between 2020 and 2023, citing the failure of civilian administrations to curb jihadist violence. All three countries have severed ties with Western powers and turned to Russia for military assistance, yet violence persists, displacing millions in the region.
