New Attack on Mali Army Post Leaves Five Dead, Several Injured

Jihadist attack on a military post in southeastern Mali kills five, injures several, amid a surge in assaults on army bases nationwide.

An attack on an army post in southeastern Mali on Thursday resulted in the deaths of five people and left several others injured, according to defence and other sources who spoke to AFP. This incident occurred just days after other jihadist assaults targeted military installations elsewhere in the country.

The attack occurred in the village of Mahou, located in the Sikasso region, and began in the morning, according to a local elected official and an eyewitness. The situation was later brought under control. “It was terrifying to see such a large number of attackers. They were on dozens of motorcycles,” a resident told AFP. Another witness reported that there were more than 50 assailants involved in the attack.

Mali’s armed forces confirmed that both ground and air reinforcements were dispatched to the area. A security source from Sikasso and other local sources stated that the attack was eventually halted. “We regret the loss of five men and nearly 10 injured,” said the security source, adding that a military vehicle had been set on fire during the assault.

In a statement released Thursday, the army’s general staff noted that recent weeks have seen a “resurgence of cowardly and barbaric attacks against localities, peaceful populations, as well as military bases.” The statement attributed these acts to “a coalition of armed terrorist groups of all persuasions with internal and external support,” though it did not make direct mention of the Mahou incident.

According to the security source, soldiers stationed in Mahou worked diligently to repel the attack and restore security to the area. “The situation is under control,” the source confirmed.

This attack comes on the heels of another assault in Mali’s north, where an army base and airport in the historic city of Timbuktu were targeted. In that incident, the army’s general staff reported that more than a dozen assailants were “neutralised.”

Just one day prior, an even deadlier attack occurred at the Boulkessi army base in central Mali, near the border with Burkina Faso, where at least 30 soldiers were killed in an assault attributed to jihadist forces.

Mali has been grappling with violence since 2012, facing attacks from jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, in addition to separatist movements and criminal gangs.