At least 50 Malian soldiers and five Russian Africa Corps paramilitaries were killed in a major jihadist attack on a military base in central Mali last week, according to security and local sources.
The attack on the Dioura military camp in the Mopti region on Thursday was claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).
Security sources said the death toll could be significantly higher, with estimates ranging between 60 and 80 soldiers. Several dozen Malian troops were also reportedly taken prisoner during the assault.
An army officer who was at the scene told AFP that more than 50 personnel had been killed, including five members of the Russia-linked Africa Corps.
Another security source in Mopti put the number of Malian soldiers killed at more than 60 and said about 60 others were captured.
A local official gave a higher estimate, saying at least 80 soldiers were killed and many others taken prisoner.
“The jihadists attacked the Dioura camp and returned the next day,” the official said, adding that the army had not sent reinforcements to the location.
JNIM subsequently claimed on its communication channels that it had taken “total control” of the Malian army barracks in Dioura.
The attack is among the deadliest against the Malian military since the security crisis began more than a decade ago and comes as jihadist and separatist groups intensify attacks against the country’s military rulers.
Since late April, JNIM and its Tuareg separatist allies have carried out a series of attacks targeting the junta, including the capture of the northern city of Kidal and the killing of Mali’s defence minister.
Mali has faced a prolonged security crisis since 2012, with large parts of the country affected by attacks from jihadist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and Islamic State, as well as criminal networks and armed separatist movements.
The military junta, which seized power in successive coups in 2020 and 2021, has distanced itself from France, its former colonial power, while strengthening military and political ties with Russia.
Following the Dioura attack, the Malian army said in a statement on Sunday that it had launched air and ground operations against the attackers.
The military also reported the “neutralisation” of several suspected terrorists travelling on motorcycles and attempting to hide in bushland southwest of the town.
The latest assault follows another major setback for Malian forces in July, when at least 50 soldiers were killed in northern Mali after Tuareg separatists and jihadist fighters ambushed an army convoy travelling from the strategic town of Anefis towards Gao.
The continuing attacks underscore the persistent security challenges facing Mali despite the junta’s shift in military alliances and its efforts to combat armed groups operating across the country.
