Army confronts two consecutive jihadist assaults within a two-day period
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Two violent jihadist attacks on the Malian military within 48 hours have left a significant mark on the nation's security scene. A coordinated assault on a military camp in Tombouctou and the airport were thwarted on Monday, following a brutal raid the previous day that claimed the lives of at least 30 soldiers in central Mali, according to multiple security and local sources.
In a statement on Monday evening, the Malian army headquarters clarified that they had successfully blocked an attempt by terrorist fighters to infiltrate the camp and the airport in Tombouctou, the main city in the north that was under jihadist control for several months in 2012.
The attack started around 10 a.m. on Monday (local time and GMT).
By Monday evening, the army announced they had "neutralized" 14 attackers, with no immediate news on additional casualties.
"The terrorists were swiftly repelled by our soldiers," the army said, adding that "31 suspected terrorists" had been arrested.
Tombouctou's governorate reported an "infiltration attempt" at the military camp and shells fired at the airport located 2 km from the city. The situation was later said to be under control.
Heavy gunfire was heard in the city, according to the army, local officials, and residents contacted by AFP.
No immediate information was available on military or civilian casualties.
A security source informed AFP that operations at the camp had "already ended" and that the attackers were "everywhere in the city."
At the airport, "the terrorists did not make an entry" because "the Russians are present," "but they launched shells," this same source further stated.
A local elected official revealed that "the terrorists" arrived in Tombouctou on Monday in a vehicle filled with explosives, which detonated near the military camp.
Mali has been plagued by violence from jihadist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) group since 2012, as well as communal gangs. In 2012, Tombouctou endured several months under the terrorists' control.
"This morning, our city was attacked by terrorist groups. Gunfire was heard near the military camp and the airport," a local journalist reported.
Casualties Rise in Boulkessi
When the jihadists occupied Tombouctou in 2012, they caused a stir with their atrocities and the destruction of part of the city's UNESCO World Heritage List mausoleums. The city was regained without a fight at the end of January 2013, thanks to the French military operation Serval, intended to halt the advance of jihadists in Mali.
In September last year, jihadists from the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) claimed a major attack on both a gendarmerie barracks and a military airport in the capital Bamako, which had been relatively calm over the past few years.
The attack in Tombouctou took place the day after another significant assault on one of the army's main camps in the country's center, Boulkessi. Initial reports suggest at least 30 Malian soldiers were killed on May 31, with local sources fearing an even higher death toll.
A security source informed AFP, "Our units on the ground report the death of 30 friendly personnel... Our men fought until the end...," adding that other soldiers were "missing" since the assault.
A local elected official set the number of dead soldiers at "at least 60."
A second Malian security source, contacted by AFP, estimated the combined total of victims (dead, missing, and hostages) on the Malian side at "around 60."
The Malian army had announced the attack on the Boulkessi camp on Sunday without providing a death toll.
"FAMA (Malian Armed Forces) reacted forcefully to this attack before withdrawing" and "many men fought, some to their last breath," the army statement added, claiming that "operations have enabled the destruction of several terrorist groups gathered in retreat locations."
Jihadist groups, as well as Malian armed forces associated with the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, are frequently accused of abuses in Mali by international observers.
Since seizing power in coups in 2020 and 2021, the military has severed ties with France and turned towards Russia.
- The escalating violence and jihadist attacks in Mali, as seen in Tombouctou and Boulkessi, are significant areas of war-and-conflicts and general-news, with potential implications for politics and security.
- Crime-and-justice issues continue to arise in Mali, with the aftermath of the recent attacks in Tombouctou and Boulkessi raising questions about accountability for the reported deaths of up to 60 Malian soldiers.
