A devastating attack by the Al-Qaeda-linked group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen (JNIM) on Mali’s capital Bamako has left over 70 people dead and hundreds injured, according to diplomatic and security sources. The assault, which targeted an elite police training academy and the nearby airport, has sent shockwaves through the West African nation.
The attack occurred on Tuesday, with JNIM claiming responsibility. A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, reported 77 people killed and 255 injured. An authenticated confidential official document put the toll at about 100, identifying 81 victims.
Mali has been grappling with an armed uprising that began over a decade ago in its arid north, spreading to neighbouring countries in the Sahel region and displacing millions. The conflict has intensified since the military seized power in a coup in 2021.
The attack undermines claims by the military that they have stabilised the situation after the departure of French troops and turning to Russia for security. JNIM claimed that a few dozen of its fighters had killed and wounded “hundreds” from the opposing ranks, including members of the Russian mercenary group Wagner.
Videos published on social media showed JNIM fighters firing randomly into the windows of the presidential hangar and destroying aircraft. A plane used for humanitarian work by the World Food Programme (WFP) was damaged, reducing the organization’s capacity to provide emergency aid to civilians in remote areas.
The international community has condemned the attack, with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, neighbouring Senegal, African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat, and the embassies of France and the United Kingdom expressing outrage.
Jean-Herve Jezequel, Sahel project director at the International Crisis Group, believes JNIM’s attack may be aimed at forcing the Malian government to concentrate its resources in populated areas, leaving rural areas vulnerable to extremist strongholds.
The attack highlights the ongoing struggle for stability in Mali and the Sahel region, with thousands dead and millions displaced.
