The authorities in Mali have announced the successful repulse of an attack by militant Islamist group, JNIM, on a military base in the town of San, near the border with Burkina Faso. The attack, which began Sunday morning, resulted in the killing of dozens of militants, according to the army. Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a jihadist group affiliated with al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the assault, which targeted the base’s strategic location. The army, which suffered casualties of its own, disputed the extent of the takeover, stating that their soldiers had ‘temporarily retreated’ from the base. Lt Col El Oumrani, the commander of the 23rd regiment in the San garrison, stated in a video that his troops had ‘not gone anywhere’ and maintained control of the base. He urged residents to remain vigilant, insisting that his soldiers had ‘not gone anywhere’ and the base remained under army control. The camp of the 23rd is, indeed, not empty, according to the commander, as it remains under army custody. The attack commenced around 05:00 local time (GMT) on Sunday and lasted for approximately two hours, according to witnesses quoted by RFI. The attackers comprised motorcycles and on foot, with some disguised as army uniforms, leading to the observation that the militants entered the camp and held it for a prolonged period before leaving. According to witnesses, the fighting took place between 200 and 300 meters from the camp’s location, resulting in the deaths of at least 10 soldiers and the brief seizure of the base’s perimeter. The AFP news agency reported that the attackers utilized drones, heavy machine guns, and armored vehicles to breach the base’s perimeter. Prior to the coup in April 2012, Mali has been plagued by insurgencies and large portions of the north and east of the country remain outside government control. The nation saw nationwide, coordinated attacks by an alliance of jihadists and separatist rebels in the north – the Azawad Liberation Front – seeking to overthrow the military regime of Gen Assimi Goïta, who seized power in a coup in 2020. During the attacks, Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed in an apparent suicide truck bombing near his residence in Bamako. JNIM has diversified its operations and targeted not only northern Mali but also central and southern Mali, demonstrating an ability to penetrate deeper into the territory despite numerous military operations. In response to the coup, Mali rejected French military help and instead turned to Russia. Additional reporting by BBC Monitoring. Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica.” ,
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Source: BBC Africa
