Mali military attack: 10 soldiers killed in jihadist assault on San base
A coordinated assault on a military installation in San, central Mali, has resulted in the deaths of at least ten soldiers. The attack, which unfolded before dawn, was swiftly claimed by jihadist factions aligned with the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an Al-Qaïda affiliate operating across the Sahel.
- Terrorism
Witnesses in San described harrowing scenes of sustained gunfire and explosions that persisted for hours. «This was clearly a terrorist operation,» recounted a local resident. «The attack began around 5:00 AM. We heard deafening blasts and nonstop gunfire. The situation has since stabilized.»
The Malian military command, however, downplayed the severity of the incident. In an official statement, authorities labeled the assault a «failed attack» on the San base, claiming that «vigorous countermeasures by national forces» had successfully repelled the assault. They assured the public that «control has been fully restored.»
Jihadist claim of responsibility
The JNIM swiftly asserted responsibility for the operation, asserting in a statement that they had «seized complete control» of the military barracks in San, located in the Ségou region. This brazen strike follows another devastating attack on July 18, when at least fifty soldiers were killed in an ambush targeting a military convoy in northern Mali—one of the deadliest incidents in the country’s ongoing conflict.
Mali has been grappling with a severe security crisis since 2012, exacerbated by the rise of extremist factions tied to both Al-Qaïda and the Islamic State, as well as communal militias and Tuareg separatist movements. The turmoil has compounded an already dire economic situation. Since two successive military coups in 2020 and 2021, the nation has been under the rule of a transitional junta vowing to restore stability and preserve territorial integrity.