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More than 30 people have been killed in two separate attacks in central Mali carried out by Al-Qaeda-linked militants, according to local, security, and administrative sources.
The attacks, which occurred on Wednesday in the villages of Korikori and Gomossogou, were claimed by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an affiliate of Al-Qaeda in the Sahel.
A youth official said at least 35 people were killed in the near-simultaneous assaults, while other sources placed the toll at over 30. A regional journalists’ network, WAMAPS, reported that more than 50 villagers may have been killed, with several others still missing.
Villagers said homes were looted and property set on fire during the raids, which security sources described as retaliation for actions involving the Dan Nan Ambassagou militia.
The militia, made up largely of Dogon hunters, is one of several community self-defence groups formed in response to persistent jihadist violence in central Mali. Authorities have previously accused it of involvement in deadly communal attacks, including the Ogossagou massacre in 2019.
Security sources said many of those killed were militia members, but also included teenagers and children.
The Malian Armed Forces said it carried out a “targeted operation against terrorist armed groups” in the area, claiming around a dozen fighters were neutralised, though it provided no further details.
The latest violence follows an escalation in Mali’s security crisis, with jihadist groups and separatist movements increasing attacks across the country.
In recent weeks, coordinated assaults by JNIM and the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) targeted strategic locations, deepening instability and prompting further military response.
Mali has faced worsening insecurity since 2012, driven by jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State, as well as ethnic militias and separatist movements.
The country has been under military rule since coups in 2020, with the junta increasingly relying on external security partnerships while struggling to contain expanding militant activity across central and northern regions.
