In western Mali, the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) have announced that they neutralized several dozen fighters from the jihadist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), affiliated with Al-Qaeda, during an offensive in the Mousafa area, near the Baoulé forest, about 30 kilometers south of Dioumara in the Diéma district (Kayes region).
The operation, supported by airstrikes, targeted a terrorist hideout, according to a statement released Tuesday evening by the General Staff of the Armed Forces. “Several dozen terrorists were neutralized by an aerial patrol in this strategic area,” said Colonel Souleymane Dembelé, army spokesperson.
These strikes come after jihadists imposed a blockade for several days on major roadways connecting the capital Bamako to Dakar, passing through the Kayes, Sikasso, and Nioro du Sahel regions. In a widely circulated video on social media, members of JNIM, speaking in Bambara, claimed responsibility for the blockade and banned fuel deliveries to Mali from neighboring countries: Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Mauritania.
In response, the army launched a large-scale ground and air operation. Colonel Gilbert Diarra, Chief of Staff of the advanced tactical post in Nioro du Sahel, stated on national television that the operation had successfully freed several hostages, all found safe and sound, thanks to accurate intelligence and air force support.
Meanwhile, Malian security sources have accused the Algerian military regime under General Saïd Chengriha of directly supporting certain armed groups operating in the Sahel. They point to what they describe as Algeria’s ambiguous regional policy, which, according to Bamako, “undermines Mali’s sovereign efforts to restore security on its territory.” These accusations come amid rising diplomatic tensions between the two countries.