The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) have announced that they successfully repelled an attempted infiltration targeting their military base in the northern city of Timbuktu.
According to the General Staff of the FAMa, thirteen assailants were neutralised during a counter-offensive launched in response to the attack, which also led to the seizure of weapons and ammunition. Search and sweep operations are currently underway in the surrounding area.
The swift military response comes amid a deteriorating security environment marked by a series of coordinated assaults. Military sources indicated that the attack on the Timbuktu base began at dawn. Backed by specialised units, the FAMa mounted an immediate counterattack and managed to repel the assault without sustaining casualties, according to a provisional army statement.
A few hours later, the al-Qaeda-affiliated Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) claimed responsibility for multiple attacks via its media outlet Az Zallaqa, including operations in the Timbuktu and Kidal regions.
In Kidal, JNIM claimed to have targeted a military convoy on the Kidal–Anéfif road using an improvised explosive device (IED). The group said that the convoy was carrying Malian troops along with suspected Russian operatives, possibly linked to the Wagner Group. The attack is part of a broader campaign aimed at disrupting army supply lines, which have become increasingly vulnerable since the withdrawal of MINUSMA peacekeepers.
Kidal, retaken by Malian forces in November 2023, remains a volatile zone where several armed groups remain active. In the Tinzaoutene area, fighters from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a faction stemming from the former Permanent Strategic Framework (CSP), continue to operate. A previous attempt by FAMa to secure the area in July 2024 was thwarted by a joint resistance from the FLA and JNIM, resulting in casualties, including among Russian auxiliaries.
In Timbuktu, JNIM also claimed a brief incursion at the Asday military outpost on the eastern outskirts of the city. While the military has not confirmed the claim, it stated that it maintains control of the area and is continuing reinforced security operations.
The recent spike in violence forms part of a broader regional strategy of harassment by jihadist groups. On Sunday, June 1, additional attacks were reported in both Mali and Burkina Faso. Incidents were recorded between San and Kimbala (Ségou region), Niena and Komani (Sikasso region), and Kolokani and Djedjeni (Koulikoro region). On the Burkinabè side, violence was reported in the Kossi and Soum provinces.
Meanwhile, in Mali’s central Douentza region, FAMa confirmed an attack on the military outpost in Boulikessi. The army responded with a counter-offensive backed by airstrikes. In their statement, the authorities acknowledged sustaining losses and paid tribute to the soldiers who, they said, “fought to their last breath.”
MD/te/sf/lb/as/APA