Mali Security Crisis Deepens as Al-Qaeda-Linked Insurgents Kill Around 50 People

Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents have killed around 50 people, including civilians and pro-government self-defence fighters, in coordinated attacks on two villages in central Mali, according to multiple sources.

The attacks took place overnight on Wednesday in the Mopti region and are being described as one of the deadliest incidents since a major late-April offensive by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) alongside the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).

Three sources — an aid worker, a diplomat, and a security official — confirmed the killings, while a resident from nearby Bankass said armed men stormed villages, opened fire, and looted homes.

“Unidentified armed men burst in, opening fire and ransacking the village,” the resident said.

It is not yet clear how many of the dead were civilians, as local hunting groups and self-defence militias often operate alongside the army in the region.

Mali’s military has yet to comment on the latest wave of violence.

The attacks come amid escalating instability following the April 25 offensive, which exposed vulnerabilities within Mali’s military-led government and reportedly resulted in the death of Defence Minister Sadio Camara, while Russian-backed allied forces withdrew from the strategic northern town of Kidal.

Speaking in Bamako, army commander Djibrilla Maiga said insurgents were attempting to regroup but insisted the military was actively working to disrupt their operations.

“The threat is still present,” he warned.

JNIM has also announced plans to impose a blockade on Bamako by targeting major roads leading into the capital.

Despite military claims of neutralising hundreds of militants since the April offensive, independent verification remains difficult as the security situation continues to deteriorate across the country.