Battle of Niaki

Last updated
Battle of Niaki
Part of Opération Barkhane, Mali War
Date12 November 2020
Location
Niaki, Mali
Result

French victory

  • Heavy casualties on the side of JNIM.
Belligerents
Flag of France.svg  France Flag of Jihad.svg JNIM
Units involved
Insigne 27e brigade d'infanterie de montagne.svg 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade Unknown
Strength

Flag of France.svg Several French soldiers
Flag of France.svg 4 planes Mirage 2000
Flag of France.svg 4 attack helicopter Tiger
Flag of France.svg 3 military helicopter Caïman

(

Contents

French government claim) [1]
Not specified
Casualties and losses
NoneFlag of Jihad.svg +30 [2]

The Battle of Niaki was a confrontation between jihadists and French soldiers in the city of Niaki, taking place on November 12, 2020, during the Mali war and Operation Barkhane.

Clashes

After locating a suspicious encampment near Niaki, 180 kilometers east of Mopti, four Mirage 2000 fighter jets took off from the Niamey airbase in Niger, as reported by the French military headquarters. Additionally, four Tigre combat helicopters and three Caïman troop transport helicopters were dispatched, carrying mountain commandos on board. Following initial airstrikes by the Mirage jets on the encampment, the commandos, supported by the fighter jets and helicopters, engaged in a ground combat lasting approximately an hour, stated Colonel Barbry. [3] [4]

Aftermath

Following the operation, a significant amount of enemy assets were seized and the jihadist group suffered notable casualties. The ground forces reported confiscating approximately twenty motorcycles and a substantial quantity of weaponry from the encampment. [5]

Notes and references

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Konna</span> Battle during the Northern Mali Conflict in January 2013

The Battle of Konna was a battle in the Northern Mali Conflict in the town of Konna in central Mali. Various Islamic fundamentalist rebels fought with the government of Mali, the latter of which was supported by French soldiers participating in Operation Serval. This battle was among the first French engagements in their intervention in the Mali War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Diabaly</span>

The Battle of Diabaly was fought between government forces of Mali, against groups of Islamists militants such as the AQIM and Ansar Dine. The Islamists held control of Diabaly for no longer than a week until Malian forces with the help French air strikes recaptured the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Barkhane</span> French military operation

Operation Barkhane was a counterinsurgency operation that started on 1 August 2014 and formally ended on 9 November 2022. It was led by the French military against Islamist groups in Africa's Sahel region and consisted of a roughly 3,000-strong French force, which was permanently headquartered in N'Djamena, the capital of Chad. The operation was led in co-operation with five countries, all of which are former French colonies that span the Sahel: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. Mali was a part of the operation until August 2022. The countries are collectively referred to as the "G5 Sahel". The operation was named after a crescent-shaped dune type that is common in the Sahara desert.

Ba Ag Moussa was a Malian militant and jihadist.

The battle of Boulikessi took place on October 30 and 31, 2020 during the war in Mali.

The Mondoro attack took place on 4 March 2022, when al-Qaeda-linked jihadists attacked a Malian military base, causing heavy casualties.

Between August 17 to 21, 2021, French forces under Operation Barkhane launched an operation to attack Islamic State in the Greater Sahara bases located in the Dangarous forest near In-Delimane, Mali. The battle killed the commander of ISGS, Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi.

Between March 15 and 16, 2021, Islamic State in the Greater Sahara fighters clashed with Malian and French troops over control of a Malian military base near the town of Tessit, with ISGS jihadists overrunning the coalition.

Between December 20 and 21, 2019, French forces under Operation Barkhane launched an attack on Katibat Macina fighters in rural parts of the Wagadou forest near Wagadou, Mali.

The battle of the Serma Forest took place between January 4 and 9, 2019, led by French troops in Operation Barkhane against Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin.

The battle of Abanguilou took place on December 19, 2018, between the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA) and their French allies against the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS).

The battle of Farimake took place between November 22 and 23, 2018, between French forces of Operation Barkhane and Katibat Macina, a regional variant of Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin. French forces launched an assault on Katiba Macina, claiming to have killed their leader Amadou Koufa.

The battle of Boulikessi took place between September 30 and October 1, 2019. Jihadists from JNIM and Ansarul Islam attacked Malian bases in Boulikessi and Mondoro, killing between 40 and 85 Malian soldiers, making it the deadliest attack for the Malian army since the Second Battle of Kidal in 2014.

The raid on Dialloubé took place on February 23, 2019, and was an ambush by Franco-Malian forces against Katibat Macina.

The battle of Elakla took place on February 21, 2019, between French forces of Operation Barkhane and al-Qaeda aligned Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin.

Clashes at Inabelbel took place on June 22, 2018, between French and Malian forces against Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin.

The battle of Akabar took place on April 1, 2018, between French and Malian forces aided by Tuareg rebels against Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.

The raid on Tin Biden occurred between October 23 and 24, 2017, between French forces of Operation Barkhane and Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin in the remote wadi of Tin Biden, Kidal Region, Mali. In the battle, French forces killed eleven Malian prisoners of war held captive by JNIM.

Between April 29 and 30, 2017, French forces launched an offensive against jihadists from Ansarul Islam and Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin based in the Foulsaré forest in southern Mali. The operation was dubbed Operation Bayard by the French.

The battle of Gourma-Rharous took place on April 18, 2017, between French and Malian forces against an attacking Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin.

References

  1. "La Force Barkhane neutralise des Terroristes à proximité du village de Niaki". archives.defense.gouv.fr. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  2. "Mali : une trentaine de djihadistes tués par la force française " Barkhane "". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  3. "Mali : une trentaine de jihadistes tués par l'armée française". Franceinfo (in French). 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  4. "Nouvelle frappe française au Mali: une vingtaine de GAT éliminés par des Mirage, des hélicoptères et des commandos". lignesdedefense.blogs.ouest-france.fr (in French). Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  5. Lagneau, Laurent (2020-11-14). "Barkhane frappe fort à nouveau en mettant hors de combat "plusieurs dizaines" de jihadistes au Mali". Zone Militaire (in French). Retrieved 2023-08-01.

Note