Mali’s Military Base Under Siege Mali’s army reported killing roughly 40 jihadists in an operation following the defeat of an attack on the military base in the city of San, as the long-standing jihadist conflict in Mali seems to be heating up.
The militants attacked the military base, and it was Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a militant group linked with al-Qaeda that is expanding its attacks from the northern part of Mali to other parts.
However, JNIM reported that its militants had taken control of the base for a brief period, but the Malian army denied losing the base despite being forced to temporarily retreat due to the attack.
What Happened in San?
The attack occurred at approximately 05:00 local time on Sunday, lasting about two hours according to witnesses quoted by RFI.
According to reports, some of the militaries entered the base through motorcycles and on foot. Some of the militaries allegedly put on military outfits to aid their entry into the base.
Military officers from Mali stated that drones, heavy machine guns, and armoured vehicles were used in the attack.
The commander of the 23rd Regiment in San, Lt Col El Oumrani, claimed that around 40 militants had been killed and the attack had been defeated successfully.
He further assured the residents that the military still controlled the base.
“The camp of the 23rd is not empty”, he said, adding that it was still under the control of the army.
According to AFP, however, citing security and local sources, at least 10 soldiers had been killed, and the militants had occupied the camp briefly.
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JNIM Takes Over the Military Base
JNIM announced its responsibility for the attack and the fact that its fighters had gained control of the military base.
The conflicting statements have made it hard to independently verify the time the militants stayed in the base and the number of casualties.
Testimonies provided by RFI revealed that there was a fierce fight around the camp, whereby some of the assailants were killed while others ran into buildings in the area and into the forest.
These conflicting testimonies show how hard it is to get dependable information about conflicts in Mali, especially when accessing conflict zones may be problematic.
Mali’s Jihadist Threat Is Growing
This assault happens at a time when Mali continues grappling with the problem of insurgency that has lasted for more than a decade now.
Violence carried out by the jihadis had first been concentrated in northern Mali in the years following 2012 but has gradually extended to central and southern parts of Mali.
JNIM has in particular been very aggressive in expanding its operations by targeting government infrastructure and military positions.
The ability of this group to extend its operations far south into Mali raises fears over whether the Malian military will be able to keep militants out of those parts of the country which had been relatively peaceful.
Why San Is Important
San is situated in the central part of Mali; hence, the reported attack becomes very important beyond the military skirmish that occurred there.
It also follows a string of attacks carried out in April by jihadists and separatists, such as the Azawad Liberation Front.
These attacks emphasized the increasingly complex security situation that the military government of Mali is faced with.
Mali’s Security Policy Has Changed
The growing insurgency has coincided with a dramatic change in Mali’s foreign and security policy.
Since the 2020 military coup d’état orchestrated by Gen. Assimi Goïta, Mali has refused France’s military help and has increasingly reached out to Russia for security cooperation.
The military government had based part of its justification for changing its foreign policy stance on the fact that previous foreign military intervention had not been effective in containing the insurgency.
But the continuing growth of jihadist attacks has brought up new doubts regarding the effectiveness of the current security policy in Mali.
