More than 30 people have been killed in two coordinated attacks in central Mali claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, known as JNIM, deepening the country’s worsening security crisis.
According to local and security sources, the attacks targeted the villages of Korikori and Gomossogou on Wednesday, with witnesses reporting gunmen stormed the communities, opened fire on residents, looted homes, and set several buildings ablaze. While official figures put the death toll at over 30, regional security observers say more than 50 villagers may have been killed, with several others still missing.
Authorities believe the attacks were carried out in retaliation against the Dan Nan Ambassagou militia, a self-defence group largely made up of ethnic Dogon hunters. The militia was formed to protect communities from jihadist violence but has also been accused of carrying out deadly ethnic attacks, including the 2019 Ogossagou massacre that left about 160 people dead.
Security officials say many of those killed in the latest attacks were militia members, although women, teenagers, and children were also among the victims. The Malian military says it has launched targeted operations in the affected areas and claims around a dozen suspected fighters were neutralised.
The latest violence comes less than two weeks after jihadist and separatist groups launched major coordinated offensives on military positions across Mali, including attacks on Kidal and Kati near the capital, Bamako. The crisis intensified further following the killing of Defence Minister Sadio Camara in a car bomb attack.
Large parts of northern Mali are now reportedly under the control of separatist and jihadist groups, with armed factions tightening pressure on the military-led government.
Meanwhile, reports of arrests and abductions of opposition figures and military personnel have raised concerns of political repression. Critics accuse the junta of using the security crisis to silence opponents, though authorities insist investigations are ongoing into alleged collaborators linked to recent attacks.
Mali has remained under military rule since coups in 2020, while violence linked to Al-Qaeda, Islamic State affiliates, separatist movements, and criminal gangs continues to destabilise the Sahel nation and neighbouring countries.
