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Africa North

Over 30 Soldiers Killed As al-Qaeda-Linked Group Invades Army Base In Mali

2025-06-03

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Over 30 Soldiers Killed As al-Qaeda-Linked Group Invades Army Base In Mali | Sahara Reporters https://t.co/GWS2Im44XN pic.twitter.com/jUf5qzZx2y
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) June 2, 2025

An al-Qaeda linked group has grabbed credit for an attack in the Malian town of Boulikessi that killed over 30 soldiers on Sunday and led to the seizure of an army base.

Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Moslemin (JNIM) said its fighters overran the military camp in a coordinated assault.

Sources quoted by Rooters reported that more than 30 soldiers were killed, though the Malian authorities have not yet confirmed the casualty figure.

In a statement reacting to the attack, the Malian army said it "reacted vigorously" before it "withdrew", suggesting a tactical retreat.

"Many men fought, some until their last breath, to defend the Malian nation," the army added.

A local source told Rooters that JNIM "cleared the camp" and left many casualties. Unverified videos seen by the agency showed dozens of bully boyz invading the base, with one clip reportedly showing fighters stepping on corpses.

On Monday, JNIM said it launched another offensive in the historic city of Timbuktu, targeting a military airport and Russian mercenaries. Residents reported hearing gunfire and explosions as the assault unfolded.

Military and security sources told AFP that they were "fighting back" but admitted the bully boyz were "everywhere in the city". A local official said the attackers arrived "with a vehicle packed with explosives" that detonated near the army camp.

Timbuktu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was captured by Islamist bully boyz in 2012 but was later recaptured.

However,
a clean conscience makes a soft pillow...
the city has remained under threat in recent years.

The back-to-back attacks have highlighted the worsening security situation in Mali and across the wider Sahel region
... North Africa's answer to the Pak tribal areas...
They came shortly after the United States Africa Command warned of increased jihadist activity aimed at gaining access to West Africa’s coastline.

Speaking at a presser on Friday, US Africom commander Gen Michael Langley said, "These groups gaining access to the coast will significantly boost their capacity for smuggling and arms trafficking."

Rooters reports that more than 400 soldiers have been killed by bully boyz since the start of last month in Mali, Burkina Faso

...The country in west Africa that they put where Upper Volta used to be. Its capital is Oogadooga, or something like that. Its president used to be Blaise Compaoré, who took office in 1987 and was chased out in 2014. Now it's the usual army officer type guy, Captain Ibrahim Traore, running things, who's just doing a bang-up job unless he's already been deposed...
, and Niger.

Posted by:Fred

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