An Al Qaeda-linked rebel group, Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), has claimed an attack on a military base in Mali’s Boulkessi, near the border with Burkina Faso, killing over 30 soldiers.
The Malian army reportedly pulled back after a dogged defense, but the exact casualty numbers are unknown.
In a separate attack, JNIM assaulted a military airport and Russian mercenaries in Timbuktu, with heavy gunfire and shelling reported, causing panic among residents.
The Sahel region has been plagued by insurgency, with hundreds of soldiers reportedly killed in recent weeks, and millions displaced, as governments struggle to contain the violence despite seeking military support from Russia.
