Mali Military Posts Under Siege: JNIM Claims Responsibility

The Al Qaeda affiliate Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has asserted responsibility for a sequence of strategically coordinated assaults on military establishments throughout Mali.

On Tuesday, the group publicly announced via social media that it had achieved "complete control over three barracks and dozens of military positions" in what they described as high-caliber, coordinated attacks. Mali's armed forces had reported these hostilities across seven towns in the country's central and western regions but had initially withheld details regarding the perpetrators of the attacks.

Historically known for its insurgent operations, JNIM's modus operandi appears consistent with previous militant activities in Mali and neighboring Burkina Faso. The recent assaults specifically targeted regions near Senegal and Mauritania, underscoring the persistent instability that has plagued Mali since its governance overhaul by a military junta in 2020.

(With inputs from agencies.)