Mali army base attacked in Dioura, army says

Mali's army said its Dioura military camp in the central Mopti region came under attack on Thursday, with military and local sources telling AFP that jihadists targeted the strategic base.

Fighting broke out in the morning around the military station, which serves as a forward base for army operations in the area. An army officer based in Mopti told AFP that the army's positions came under fire but that the situation was under control with support from its partners, referring to Moscow-backed Africa Corps fighters.

Residents contacted by AFP described sustained gunfire and a chaotic situation. One resident said army pickup trucks were seen moving from the camp toward the edge of town. Another said attackers were inside the camp and that a Malian aircraft had been seen over the area, while saying the situation was not completely calm.

The director of the military public relations service described the attack as complex and said the army had “managed to destroy the enemy”. An army officer said no casualty figures were yet available and assessments were continuing.

JNIM, the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, claimed “total control of a Malian army barracks in the town of Dioura” on its communication channels.

The Dioura camp has been attacked several times in recent years by JNIM jihadists and the Tuareg-separatist Azawad Liberation Front. Mali has faced a severe security crisis since 2012 involving jihadist groups, criminal gangs and armed separatists.