Mourdiah attack
Part of Mali War
Date May 26, 2024 Location Mourdiah and Niamana, Mali Result Malian-Wagner victory
Belligerents
Mali Wagner Group	Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin
Casualties and losses
5 killed Several dozen wounded	31+ killed (per video in Niamana) 100+ killed (per Mali)

On May 26, 2024, Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) members attacked a Malian Army and Wagner Group base in Mourdiah, Koulikoro Region, Mali. The attack was repelled, and dozens of jihadists were killed.

Background

Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, has had a presence in the Wagadou Forest on the Malian-Mauritanian border since the late 2000s. ^[1] The group has attacked Malian forces in towns and bases surrounding the forest throughout the Mali War and before, with a notable attack in the district capital of Nara in 2015. ^[2] Since late 2023 and into early 2024, JNIM has intensified its attacks on Malian forces on areas surrounding the forest, mainly attempting to cut off communication along National Road 4. ^[2] In February 2024, JNIM fighters attacked a Malian base at Kwala, near Mourdiah, killing around thirty Malian soldiers and briefly occupying the base. ^{[2] [3]}

Attack

JNIM attacked the camp in Mourdiah at dawn on May 26, with two vehicles carrying suicide bombers targeting the entrance of the base and artillery fire backing them up. ^[4] Malian and Wagner forces were able to repel the attackers, who fled. ^[4] Malian troops set out in pursuit of the jihadists, flying airplanes and drones overhead and launching some drone strikes. ^[4] Many of the jihadists were caught in Niamana, a village that was the scene of a massacre by Malian and Wagner forces who killed 13 civilians. ^[5]

While JNIM did not publish a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, French journalist Wassim Nasr stated that JNIM had conducted the attack and acknowledged the loss. ^[6] Malian officials stated five men were killed in the attack and several dozen were wounded, and stated that at least a hundred jihadists had been killed. ^[4] A video taken in Niamana showed at least thirty-one corpses of jihadists, several of whom were entirely disemboweled, had their genitals cut off, or decapitated. This practice is more common in Wagner mercenaries than Malian forces. ^{[5] [6]}

References

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