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Deadly attacks strike central Mali
At least 50 people were killed in coordinated assaults on two villages in Mali's Mopti region on Wednesday, marking the bloodiest violence since armed groups launched a nationwide offensive last month.
Jihadist group claims responsibility
The al Qaeda-affiliated Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) admitted to carrying out the attacks on Korikori and Gomossogou. Witnesses described masked gunmen storming the villages, firing indiscriminately and looting homes.
"Unidentified armed men burst in, opening fire and ransacking the village," a resident told Reuters.
Casualties and destruction
While initial reports from AFP cited 30 deaths, diplomatic and aid sources later confirmed the toll had risen to at least 50. WAMAPS, a West African journalist network, reported that victims included militiamen, teenagers, and children. Several villagers remain missing.
Properties were torched, and the villages were left in ruins. The governor of Bandiagara condemned the attacks as "despicable and inhumane."
Military response and ongoing threat
Mali's army said it conducted a "targeted operation" in the area, killing around a dozen jihadist fighters and destroying their logistical base. Army commander Djibrilla Maiga warned at a Bamako press conference that the insurgents were regrouping after last month's offensive, which killed Defense Minister Sadio Camara in a suicide bombing.
"The threat is still present," Maiga said, adding that the military was working to disrupt the militants' advance.
Broader conflict escalates
The attacks follow a coordinated offensive last month by an alliance of jihadists and the separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), which seeks to overthrow the military junta led by Gen. Assimi Goïta. The junta, which seized power in a 2020 coup, has faced mounting pressure as insurgents gain ground in the north.
Russian paramilitary forces from the Africa Corps, formerly Wagner Group, have been assisting Mali's army but were forced to withdraw from Kidal after the FLA seized control. The rebels have vowed to march on other northern cities and demand the full withdrawal of Russian forces.
Humanitarian and political fallout
The violence has deepened Mali's security crisis, which began with a 2012 Tuareg rebellion before being hijacked by Islamist militants. The junta, initially popular for promising stability, has struggled to contain the insurgency since expelling UN peacekeepers and French forces.
Gen. Goïta recently replaced Camara with Gen. Oumar Diarra as defense minister. Meanwhile, insurgents have imposed a blockade on Bamako by setting up road checkpoints, further isolating the capital.
