Over 30 soldiers kill€d in brutal jihadist ambush in Timbuktu, Mali

DDM News

At least 30 Malian soldiers have been confirmed dead following a deadly attack by militants in Timbuktu on Sunday.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reports that the assault is one of the most severe in a series of coordinated strikes by jihadist insurgents across Mali in recent weeks.

According to military sources, the jihadist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) launched a sudden ambush on a military base in Boulkessi, central Mali.

The attack began with a large explosion, believed to be from a car bomb, rocking the centre of Timbuktu.

Eyewitnesses said gunfire erupted soon after, sparking widespread panic among residents and soldiers alike.

Mali’s army confirmed on Monday that it had successfully repelled a second attack targeting a military training camp in Timbuktu city.

In the process, they reportedly killed 13 attackers and seized several weapons and vehicles left behind by the militants.

However, the earlier assault on the Boulkessi base claimed the lives of over 30 Malian troops, as confirmed by local security sources.

The military acknowledged that it had been forced to retreat from the Boulkessi base but refrained from confirming casualty figures.

JNIM has since claimed responsibility for both attacks, marking the group’s second and third major assaults within 48 hours.

The jihadist network has intensified its operations in recent months, targeting army positions across central and northern Mali.

Just a week earlier, JNIM claimed to have killed 40 soldiers in a separate raid on a base in Dioura, also located in central Mali.

The Dioura attack involved heavy gunfire and was followed by a rapid withdrawal by the attackers before air support could intervene.

In a chilling escalation, over 400 soldiers have reportedly been killed across Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso since the start of May.

These three West African nations are currently governed by military juntas following coups between 2020 and 2023.

Despite promises to restore order, the ruling juntas have struggled to suppress extremist violence and reestablish public trust.

Security analysts warn that jihadist groups are exploiting the political vacuum and weakening governance in the Sahel region.

Militant groups, including JNIM and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), have entrenched themselves in border zones.

They have launched hit-and-run attacks, laid improvised explosive devices, and engaged in targeted assassinations of soldiers and officials.

In Timbuktu, once a celebrated cultural capital, the atmosphere has turned grim as civilians brace for more violence.

Local authorities are urging residents to remain calm and report suspicious movements to security operatives.

The Malian government has imposed curfews in some conflict zones and tightened patrols in urban centres.

However, rural areas remain extremely vulnerable due to limited troop presence and scarce surveillance infrastructure.

International observers have voiced concerns over the deteriorating security situation and the high human cost of these attacks.

Aid agencies operating in Mali have also reported disruptions in humanitarian access due to the escalating conflict.

Several communities in central and northern Mali are now cut off from aid deliveries and basic services.

As the violence spreads, the economic impact is becoming more severe, with trade routes blocked and farmers abandoning their fields.

The African Union and ECOWAS have condemned the attacks and called for coordinated regional action to stem the tide of jihadist aggression.

But with diplomatic ties frayed and foreign troops withdrawn, Mali’s security forces face the daunting task of fighting a growing insurgency alone.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) continues to monitor the crisis and will provide updates as more information becomes available.

Meanwhile, families of the slain soldiers are mourning in silence, as the nation reels from another devastating blow in a long war without end.

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