Mali’s military announced it has killed at least 80 armed militants following a series of coordinated attacks across the country. Military spokesman Souleymane Dembele stated in a televised message on Tuesday, July 1, that militants suffered heavy losses wherever they clashed with security forces. Footage showed the bodies of insurgents along with seized weapons, motorcycles, and vehicles.
The al-Qaeda-linked group Jamaat-e-Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying it captured three army barracks and dozens of military positions in a “coordinated and planned operation.” The attacks targeted seven towns, including Dibouli near the Senegalese border, Kayes, Sandar, Nyoro du Sahel, Gogui, Molodo, and Nyonno, with heavy shelling reported.
Residents described scenes of terror, with intense gunfire and rising smoke forcing many to take refuge indoors. Mali has been fighting Islamic State and al-Qaeda-linked militants for over a decade, alongside a history of Tuareg rebellions in its northern regions.
