| Raid on Dioura | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Mali War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Mali | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Mohamed Sidati Ould Cheikh † | Amadou Koufa | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| ~100 | Several dozen | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 26 killed (per Mali and UN) 17 injured | 3 killed (per JNIM) | ||||||
The raid on Dioura was an attack on a Malian military base in the town of Dioura, Mali, by Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) on March 17, 2019.
The town of Dioura is located in the west of Mali's Mopti Region. Throughout the late 2010s, the region had been a hotspot for Katibat Macina attacks, a group affiliated with JNIM. However, western Mopti had less frequent attacks compared to eastern Mopti. [1] At the time of the attack, the Malian base in the village was defended by a company of the Malian Army commanded by Mohamed Sidati Ould Cheikh. [2] Later, JNIM stated that Amadou Koufa led the raid on Dioura, in contrast to the Malian Army's claims that the raid was led by Ba Ag Moussa. [3]
The attack began on the morning of March 17, around 6am local time. [2] Several dozen jihadists launched the attack aboard pickups and motorcycles. [4] Some attackers infiltrated the town of Dioura prior to the fighting. [5] The raid began after an explosive-laden motorcycle driven by a suicide bomber rammed into the Dioura camp. [6] The camp was then attacked from the north and the southeast. [5] Malian soldiers at the camp put up a resistance that lasted several hours. [6] The jihadists then set several vehicles, including tank trucks and ammo storage, alight. [6] Around 4pm, the Malian government announced it had regained control of the Dioura camp. [2]
On March 18, the Malian government announced a provisional death toll of 23 killed and 17 wounded, with no Malian troops taken prisoner. [7] Several soldiers who were initially declared missing were later found in villages around 20 kilometers from Dioura. [7] A military source and local official stated the death toll was 21 Malian soldiers killed. [2] The Malian opposition, Front for the Safeguard of Democracy, announced a toll of over 20 killed, along with twenty missing, eight vehicles burned, and eight vehicles captured. [2]
The commander of the Malian forces, Mohamed Sidati Ould Cheikh, was killed in the battle. The bodies were buried on March 18 near Dioura. [2] On March 21, new bodies had been discovered, with the Malian government updating the death toll to 26 killed. [8] This was corroborated in a May 31, 2019 MINUSMA report. [9]
JNIM claimed that three of their fighters had been killed, along with the deaths of 30 Malian soldiers. [10] The group also claimed the capture of several vehicles and a cache of weapons. [11]
The raid on Dioura was the deadliest day for the Malian army since the Second Battle of Kidal in 2014. [6]
Amadou Koufa, nom de guerre of Amadou Diallo, also spelled Hamadoun Kouffa or Amadou Kouffa is a Malian Fulani jihadist and preacher who founded Katiba Macina, later part of Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin.
Ba Ag Moussa was a Malian militant and jihadist.
The Mondoro attack took place on 4 March 2022, when al-Qaeda-linked jihadists attacked a Malian military base, causing heavy casualties.
On February 3, 2021, Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin attacked a Malian base in the remote town of Boni. French troops from Operation Barkhane came to the Malians' aid, and successfully repulsed the attack. The attack came in direct response to the recent Franco-Malian counteroffensive of Operation Eclipse.
On October 13, 2020, jihadists from al-Qaeda linked group Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) attacked a Malian military base in Sokoura, Malian reinforcements attempting to relieve the troops at the base were ambushed by more jihadists at the bridge in Parou, with the ensuing firefight killing 12 civilians. The attack was the deadliest attack in Mali since Bah Ndaw took power in a coup in August.
On April 6, 2020, jihadist militants from the al-Qaeda linked Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) attacked a secluded Malian military base in Bamba, killing dozens of Malian soldiers. A raid in retribution the following day killed JNIM leader Abu Yahya al-Jizari.
On March 19, dozens of Malian soldiers were killed at a military base in Tarkint in an attack perpetrated by the al-Qaeda linked Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM).
On January 26, 2020, jihadists from the al-Qaeda linked Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) attacked a Malian military base at Sokolo, killing over 20 Malian soldiers.
On November 18, 2019, Malian troops were ambushed by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara during a patrol of Tabankort, in Ménaka Cercle, Mali.
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.
On April 21, 2019, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin attacked a Malian military base at Guiré, Mali, as revenge for the Ogossagou massacre.
The 2019 Aguelhok attack was an attack by Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin against the MINUSMA base in Aguelhok, Mali on January 20, 2019. At the time of the attack, the base was defended by Chadian and Bengali peacekeepers, and was later aided by French forces part of Operation Barkhane.
On January 27, 2018, militants from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin and the Coalition of the People of Azawad attacked a Malian military base in Soumpi, Mali.
On June 17, 2017, jihadists from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin attacked Malian forces in Bintagoungou, Tombouctou Region, Mali.
On May 2, 2017, Malian forces were ambushed by Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin fighters near Dogofry, Mali.
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.
On March 5, 2017, jihadists from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin attacked Malian forces in Boulikessi. The attack was the first by JNIM since its inception that month.
On August 7, 2015, jihadists from Al-Mourabitoun and Katiba Macina attacked the Byblos Hotel in Sévaré, Mali. The attack was one of the largest attacks against civilians in Mopti Region during the Mali War, and led to the deaths of thirteen people, including five civilians.
The raid on Ténenkou took place on January 16, 2015, between Malian forces and jihadists of the Ansar Dine-affiliated Katiba Macina.
On January 5, 2015, militants from Katiba Macina and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) overran Malian defenses and briefly captured the city of Nampalari, Mali.
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