Twin attacks in Mali highlight regional security crisis

As Mali’s junta struggles to contain the rampant militancy that has long plagued the country, twin attacks in Timbuktu and near the Burkina Faso border underscore the deepening transnational jihadist threat destabilizing the region.

In the early hours of June 1, gunmen linked to al-Qaida launched a coordinated attack on a military camp in Timbuktu, reports Africa News. The Malian Army says it repelled the assault before it reached one of its military camps, thwarting what could have been a major security breach in the Country’s volatile north.

Since 2012, swarms of Jihadist groups, most notably the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara () and JNIM, have plagued Mali’s security forces.

The city of Timbuktu, in particular, served as a stronghold for al-Qaida before the group was ousted by French and Malian forces.

“The terrorists arrived today in Timbuktu with a vehicle packed with explosives,” a local official told Agence France-Presse. “The vehicle exploded near the camp. Shooting is currently continuing.”

While the Army reported that “The terrorists were quickly defeated by the swiftness of the soldiers’ reaction,” several eyewitnesses reported prolonged gunfire.

The attack marks JNIM’s second high-profile operation in two days. On May 31, the same group assaulted a military base in Boulkessi, a region area near the Burkinabè border. While Malian officials have yet to publish the death toll, two security sources told Reuters that over 30 soldiers were killed.

JNIM also claimed responsibility for an earlier assault on May 24 in Dioura, where over 40 soldiers are said to have been killed.

Since early May, more than 400 soldiers across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have reportedly died in insurgent violence, according to regional sources. The three allies, all now ruled by military juntas following coups between 2020 and 2023, took power on promises to crush insurgent groups.

However, to date, the Sahel region remains the epicenter of global terrorism, underscoring the severity of the threat despite ongoing counter-insurgency measures.

In February, Human Rights Watch documented the killing of 34 civilians in the meeting point between Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger despite the presence of military escorts.

In 2024, Malian authorities made a rare admission of “significant” army casualties during fighting near Tinzaouaten in the north. Since then, losses have continued to mount and highlight the broader pattern of growing jihadist control in areas once considered state-held.

Africa News/ Maghrebi