The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) have announced that they conducted operations for more than a week against armed groups in the Dioura area, in the Mopti region of central Mali, claiming to have inflicted significant human and material losses on them.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces said the operations targeted, in particular, elements of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), the al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), as well as foreign fighters. The Malian army also acknowledged casualties among its ranks, without specifying the number.
According to Western intelligence sources, the security situation in Mali has deteriorated further since late April 2026, with an increase in coordinated attacks attributed to JNIM and the FLA against military positions in several regions of the country. These sources also report military and financial support from Algeria to these terrorist groups.
Units deployed in Dioura continued targeted strikes on Saturday against armed group positions near the garrison and in the surrounding areas. According to the General Staff, these operations helped disrupt their operational capabilities.
An air-ground operation also enabled the evacuation of two companies of soldiers stationed at the Dioura garrison. Searches are meanwhile continuing for military personnel who are believed to be held hostage. Reconnaissance operations are being conducted in the area to assess the impact of the strikes and eliminate any remaining threats.
The operations come after the September 10 attack on the Dioura military camp, which was claimed by JNIM. According to several military, security and local sources, at least 100 Malian soldiers and five Russian members of Africa Corps were killed. More than 80 soldiers were also reportedly captured, while around 30 others were wounded.
The Malian army has not officially confirmed this death toll. JNIM, for its part, claims to have killed 150 soldiers and taken 93 prisoners.