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The al-Qaida-linked JNIM extremist group claimed responsibility
for the coordinated attack on several Malian army positions in
the country's west and central regions.
One position was in Diboli, across the border from Senegal,
which has been largely spared the extremist attacks.
“The border region to Senegal is a major gateway for trade and
imports from Dakar ports to Mali that had been relatively stable
for years,” said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the
Konrad Adenauer Foundation. “This will also worry border
communities in Senegal.”
Malian army spokesperson Col. Majo Souleymane Dembélé said on
national television that the army had “neutralized” 80
attackers. There were no details on any casualties among
soldiers.
Mali, a landlocked nation in the semiarid Sahel region, for more
than a decade has battled an insurgency by armed groups,
including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.
Following military coups, Mali's authorities have expelled
French forces and turned to Russia’s mercenary units for
assistance, but the security situation has been deteriorating.
Attacks by extremists have been on the rise in Mali and
neighboring Burkina Faso in recent weeks. JNIM has established a
strong presence in both.
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