Dozens of militants killed in Mali base assault, army says

The authorities in Mali say their soldiers killed dozens of militant Islamists as they repelled an attack on a military base on Sunday.

Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a jihadist group affiliated to al‑Qaida, said it was behind the assault, claiming fighters momentarily seized the San base.

The army, which also suffered casualties, disputed that it ceded control but said its soldiers had to "retreat temporarily". Lt Col El Oumrani, commander of the 23rd regiment, released a video stating, "The enemy was eliminated and the attack was successfully repelled. Around 40 terrorists were eliminated."

He urged residents to remain vigilant, insisting that the camp was still under army custody: "The 23rd camp is not empty, it is under the custody of the army."

The attack began around 5:00 a.m. GMT and lasted about two hours, according to witnesses reported by RFI. Attackers arrived on motorcycles and on foot, some disguised in army uniforms to infiltrate the base. A witness described the militants holding the camp "for a long time before leaving" and noted fighting occurred 200‑300 metres from the camp.

At least ten soldiers were killed, and the militants briefly took over the camp, according to AFP and local sources.

The army told national broadcaster ORTM that the militants used drones, heavy machine guns and armoured vehicles to breach the site’s perimeter.

Since 2012, Mali has been plagued by insurgencies, with large parts of the north and east remaining outside government control. April 2024 saw coordinated attacks by the Azawad Liberation Front, a jihadist‑separatist alliance, following coups and a French‑Malian military cooperation dispute. Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed by a truck bomb during those attacks.

JNIM has diversified its operations, now targeting central and southern Mali to penetrate deeper into the country, despite numerous military operations.

Additional reporting by BBC Monitoring