In a remote region of Mali, suspected jihadists launched a significant attack on a military outpost, resulting in the death of several Malian soldiers on Wednesday. According to an elected representative from the nearby town of Mourdiah, more than 100 jihadists assaulted the army position at Kwala, located 300 kilometers (180 miles) north of the capital, Bamako. The representative, who requested anonymity, stated that the jihadists seized control of the outpost before departing without encountering any obstacles. Another local political official corroborated this account, stating that the attack began with a car bomb targeting the army camp. After the jihadists left, government troops returned to the base amidst intense gunfire.
The Malian army released a statement acknowledging the assault but did not mention any casualties among its ranks. The statement claimed that a significant number of terrorists had been located and eliminated. However, the veracity of these claims from various sources in the remote area could not be independently verified by AFP (Agence France-Presse).
Following military coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali’s military junta expelled a French anti-jihadist force in 2022, leading to deteriorating relations between the two. As a result, Mali has shifted its political and military alignment towards Russia.
