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Mali’s military reportedly says it has repelled coordinated attacks by insurgent groups on at least seven military installations across the country, although rebels claim they seized control of several bases and fighting continues in some areas.
The attacks, launched early on Saturday, were claimed by the al Qaeda-linked militant group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), which said it acted alongside its ally, the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).
According to Africanews, the groups claimed to have captured at least three military positions.
According to army, security and local sources, the coordinated assaults targeted several towns as well as a prison, with fighting beginning at about 5:00 a.m.
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The FLA and JNIM, which had previously been rivals because of ideological differences, are reported to have joined forces about a year ago, enabling them to carry out increasingly coordinated operations.
Saturday’s attacks come months after the two groups jointly struck military targets, including the airport in Bamako, in an operation that reportedly killed the country’s defence minister.
In a statement, Mali’s armed forces said soldiers had successfully repelled the assaults and that the situation across the affected areas was “totally under control.”
However, the insurgents maintained later in the day that clashes were still ongoing in several towns, particularly in Anefis, one of the few remaining locations where government forces maintain a presence in the northern Kidal region.
The latest violence underscores the persistent security challenges facing Mali’s military-led government, which came to power following coups in 2020 and 2021.
The junta pledged to restore stability after severing military ties with France and strengthening security cooperation with Russia, but jihadist attacks have continued to escalate.
In recent months, Mali has also sought to improve relations with the United States as part of efforts to enhance security cooperation and attract investment in the country’s mining sector.
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