Mali: At least 10 soldiers killed in attack on a camp claimed by JNIM

At least 10 soldiers were killed Sunday in the town of San, in central Mali, during an attack on a Malian army camp, claimed by JNIM jihadists, security and local sources told AFP.

The camp was "temporarily occupied by the attackers," a security source told AFP, reporting a provisional death toll of "around 10 soldiers killed."

A local source also confirmed losses within the armed forces, without specifying the exact number. "There were losses on our side, but our assessments are ongoing. Our men have regained control," the source told AFP.

Mali has been gripped by a deep security crisis since 2012, fueled in particular by violence perpetrated by groups affiliated with the jihadist organizations Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, as well as by community-based criminal groups and Tuareg separatist movements. This is compounded by a severe economic crisis.

Since two successive coups in 2020 and 2021, the country has been ruled by military officers who came to power on the promise of restoring security and preserving its territorial integrity. The junta has turned away from the former colonial power, France, in its fight against jihadists, forging closer military and political ties with Russia.

In recent months, fighting has intensified in Mali since a major offensive in late April across the country by a coalition formed by jihadists from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), during which the Malian Minister of Defense was killed and the strategic city of Kidal (north) was taken by this coalition.

The loss of Kidal was a stinging defeat for the junta.

- "Terrorist attack" -

On Sunday, residents of the city of San described violent clashes in the early hours of the morning. "I can confirm that it was a terrorist attack. The attack started at 5:00 AM. We heard loud explosions and continuous gunfire," testified one San resident, adding that "calm has now returned."

In a statement released Sunday, the Malian army described it as a simple "attempted attack on the FAMa base in San this Sunday, August 9, 2026, at 5:30 a.m." The general staff asserted that a "vigorous response from the FAMa" took place and that "the attempt was repelled," assuring that "the situation is under control."

The attack on the camp in San was claimed by JNIM. In its message, the group stated that it had taken "total control of a Malian army barracks in the town of San, in the Ségou region, this (Sunday) morning."

On July 18, at least 50 soldiers were killed in northern Mali when an army convoy was attacked by the coalition of JNIM jihadists and Tuareg separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA).

This is one of the deadliest attacks suffered by the army since the start of the conflict in Mali.