Mourdiah attack

Last updated

Mourdiah attack
Part of the Mali War
Date26 May 2024
Location
Mourdiah and Niamana, Mali
Result Malian-Wagner victory
Belligerents
Flag of Mali.svg Mali
PMC Wagner Center logo.png Wagner Group
Islamic State flag.svg Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin
Casualties and losses
5 killed
Several dozen wounded
31+ killed (per video in Niamana)
100+ killed (per Mali)

On 26 May 2024, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) jihadists attacked a Malian Army and Wagner Group base in Mourdiah, Koulikoro Region, Mali. The attack was repelled, and dozens of jihadists were killed.

Contents

Background

Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, has had a presence in the Wagadou Forest on the Malian-Mauritanian border since the late 2000s. [1] [ dead link ] The group has attacked Malian forces in towns and bases surrounding the forest throughout the Mali War and before, with a notable attack in the district capital of Nara in 2015. [2] Since late 2023 and into early 2024, JNIM has intensified its attacks on Malian forces on areas surrounding the forest, mainly attempting to cut off communication along National Road 4. [2] In February 2024, JNIM fighters attacked a Malian base at Kwala, near Mourdiah, killing around thirty Malian soldiers and briefly occupying the base. [2] [3]

Attack

JNIM attacked the camp in Mourdiah at dawn on 26 May, with two vehicles carrying suicide bombers targeting the entrance of the base and artillery fire backing them up. [4] Malian and Wagner forces were able to repel the attackers, who fled. [4] Malian troops set out in pursuit of the jihadists, flying airplanes and drones overhead and launching some drone strikes. [4] Many of the jihadists were caught in Niamana, a village that was the scene of a massacre by Malian and Wagner forces who killed 13 civilians. [5]

While JNIM did not publish a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, French journalist Wassim Nasr stated that JNIM had conducted the attack and acknowledged the loss. [6] Malian officials stated five men were killed in the attack and several dozen were wounded, and stated that at least a hundred jihadists had been killed. [4] A video taken in Niamana showed at least thirty-one corpses of jihadists, several of whom were entirely disemboweled, had their genitals cut off, or decapitated. This practice is more common in Wagner mercenaries than Malian forces. [5] [6]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Timbuktu attack</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Ber (2023)</span>

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References

  1. "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Karr, Liam (7 March 2024). "AFRICA FILE, MARCH 7, 2024: JNIM STRENGTHENING NEAR BAMAKO; KREMLIN AND NIGERIA DISCUSS PARTNERSHIP". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  3. "Au Mali, plusieurs soldats tués dans une attaque jihadiste - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Mali: riposte victorieuse mais entachée d'exactions de l'armée à Mourdiah". RFI (in French). 27 May 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Treize villageois tués par l'armée à Niamana, dans le centre du Mali". RFI (in French). 7 May 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  6. 1 2 FRANCE 24 (29 May 2024). Mali : l'armée contre les djihadistes à Mourdiah, une victoire entachée de sévices • FRANCE 24 . Retrieved 24 June 2024 via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)