Witnesses in San described intense fighting shortly after dawn. «It was a coordinated terrorist assault,» a local resident recounted. «Explosions and gunfire raged nonstop from 5:00 AM. The area is calm now.» In an official statement, the Malian army described the incident as a «failed attack on the San military base at 5:30 AM.» The military command confirmed a «strong counteroffensive» that repelled the assault and restored security.

Jihadist group claims responsibility

The JNIM, an Al-Qaeda-linked coalition operating in the Sahel, claimed responsibility for the strike. In a statement, the group declared it had «seized full control of a Malian military barracks in San, Ségou region, Sunday morning.» This comes just weeks after another devastating assault on July 18, when at least 50 soldiers were killed in an ambush on a military convoy in northern Mali, carried out jointly by JNIM and Tuareg separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). That attack ranked among the deadliest against Malian forces since the conflict escalated.

Mali has faced relentless insecurity since 2012, driven by clashes between Islamist factions affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State, as well as intercommunal criminal gangs and Tuareg separatist movements. The violence has deepened an already severe economic crisis. Following back-to-back military coups in 2020 and 2021, the current transitional government vowed to restore stability and preserve national unity.