The al-Qaida-linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) militant group has claimed that 150 Malian soldiers were killed and 93 others captured in an attack on an army camp in central Mali earlier this month.
In a statement published on its online propaganda channel, Az-Zallaqa, JNIM said its fighters “neutralized” 150 members of the Malian army, including two colonels and a captain, and captured 93 others.
The group released videos showing dozens of men it identified as Malian soldiers captured during the attack.
The Associated Press could not immediately verify the figures, while Malian army spokesperson Col.-Maj. Bakary Bocar Maiga declined to comment.
The attack took place on Sept. 10 and, if JNIM’s figures are confirmed, would rank among the deadliest attacks in the group’s history.
The Malian army said last week that preliminary figures showed several dozen militants had been killed, while numerous motorcycles and pickup trucks were destroyed.
The attack comes as Mali’s military junta, which has ruled the country since a 2021 coup, prepares to mark Independence Day on Sept. 22.
Neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso are also battling Islamic militants. Following military coups, the three countries have shifted away from Western allies and turned to Russia for security support.
Analysts say the security situation has nevertheless deteriorated, with the region recording a high number of militant attacks. Government forces and Russian fighters have also been accused by rights groups of killing civilians suspected of collaborating with militants.
JNIM is one of the most powerful armed groups operating in the Sahel and one of al-Qaida’s deadliest affiliates. It was formed in 2017 through the merger of four al-Qaida-linked groups in Mali.
