Mali’s armed forces say they have killed 80 al Qaeda-linked militants following a series of simultaneous and coordinated attacks on military posts in central and western parts of the country.
Officials say the attacks took place in seven towns and cities, near the border with Senegal and further north, close to the frontier with Mauritania.
The army made the statement during a special bulletin broadcast on the armed forces’ television channel.
The Jihadist Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) group claimed responsibility for what it called “coordinated and high-quality attacks” and said it had taken control of three army barracks.
Regional authorities in Kayes and Dioïla introduced a 30-day overnight curfew on Tuesday due to attacks against positions in the Kayes region.
The incidents bore the hallmarks of other recent operations by the militants, who have conducted similar assaults on military positions in Mali and Burkina Faso.
Mali, which has been governed by military junta since 2020, has been fighting insurgent groups linked to the so-called Islamic State and al-Qaeda for more than a decade. It’s also been contending with a longer history of Tuareg-led rebellions in the north.
In May, the head of the US Africa Command, AfriCom, warned that the Sahel, which includes Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, has become the the “epicenter of terrorism on the globe.”
General Michael Langley said Islamist groups are looking to extend their reach to West Africa’s coastline, allowing them to significantly boost their revenue through human trafficking, smuggling and arms trading.
