Mali attack kills dozens of soldiers, 5 Russian mercenaries

The Thursday assault on the Dioura military camp, which was claimed by jihadists, is one of the deadliest suffered by the Malian army since the beginning of the conflict that has ravaged the west African country for more than a decade.

Some sources contacted by AFP reported a higher death toll of between 60 and 80 soldiers at the camp, which is located in the central region of Mopti.

Several dozen Malian soldiers were also taken prisoner, according to the security and local sources.

Following the attack, the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) quickly claimed “total control of a Malian army barracks in the town of Dioura” on its communication channels.

Since late April, JNIM and its Tuareg separatist allies have waged a series of attacks aimed at weakening the country’s junta rulers, including capturing the northern city of Kidal and killing the defence minister.

Mali has been wracked since 2012 by a serious security crisis, notably fuelled by violence from jihadists allied to Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group, along with criminal gangs and armed separatists.

Its ruling junta, which came to power in two successive coups in 2020 and 2021, has turned away from former colonial power France and moved closer to Russia, both militarily and politically.