Al-Qaeda affiliate claims responsibility for attacks on military sites in Mali

West Africa's al-Qaeda affiliate, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks targeting military positions in Mali. The group asserted that it had seized control of at least three of these military sites. Reuters has stated it could not independently verify this claim, which was distributed through JNIM's official communication channels.

This claim follows JNIM's earlier assertion of responsibility for an attack on the airport and military airbase in Niger's capital. The Niger government reported that 11 members of its security forces were killed in that incident, underscoring the persistent insecurity plaguing the Sahel region. The attack in Niger's capital, which began early in the morning and lasted over two hours, was the second on the airport complex this year. The region's Islamic State affiliate, known as Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), had targeted the same site in January.

JNIM is also active in Burkina Faso and Mali, where it carried out significant nationwide attacks in April. These attacks included targeting the airport in Mali's capital, Bamako, resulting in the death of the defense minister, and the seizure of several army bases. The group's activities contribute to the broader instability in the region.

Niger, along with its neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso, faces a significant challenge in containing attacks from jihadist groups. These groups have caused thousands of deaths and displaced millions across the three countries. The situation is further complicated by an escalating rivalry between JNIM and ISSP. According to data from the conflict monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, the two groups have clashed hundreds of times since their first skirmishes in 2019, resulting in over 2,100 deaths.