A World Food Program plane was damaged in an attack in Bamako, Mali. The al-Qaida-linked group JNIM claimed responsibility. All crew and staff were unharmed and are in a safe location. The incident disrupts humanitarian aid operations in the region.

According to a report from the Associated Press, a plane used for humanitarian work by the World Food Program (WFP) was damaged during an attack in the capital of Mali. The plane, owned by the South African aviation company National Airways Corp., was targeted while it was on the ground in Bamako on Tuesday. The company confirmed that the plane "came under terrorist attack" but reported that all crew and staff were unharmed and had been moved to a remote safe house.

Djaounsede Madjiangar, a spokesperson for the World Food Program, noted that the aircraft was instrumental in transporting aid workers and providing emergency humanitarian aid to remote areas of Mali. Although this plane was not the only one used by the WFP in Mali, its damage reduces the organization's capacity to deliver aid to civilians, given that they operate in multiple locations.

The attack coincided with a militant assault on a military training camp and the airport in Bamako. Malian troops were able to repel the attackers after gunfire, resulting in the deaths of some soldiers. An al-Qaida-linked group has claimed responsibility for the assault. At least 15 suspects were arrested in connection with the attack, according to a security official who was present at the camp and spoke anonymously due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

National Airways Corporation expressed their dismay over the incident, describing it as a "tragic state of affairs" that their assets were damaged while performing humanitarian work under the auspices and approval of the World Food Program. Despite the attack, the company stated that the capital of Mali remains unaffected, with business and daily life continuing normally.

Videos posted by the al-Qaida-linked militant group JNIM (Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin) on its website Azallaq showed fighters setting the plane on fire and claiming responsibility for causing "major human and material losses." JNIM and other armed groups have been involved in a protracted insurgency in Mali and its neighboring countries, Burkina Faso and Niger, which has been ongoing for over a decade. Following recent military coups in these countries, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and sought security assistance from Russian mercenary units instead.