JNIM jihadists claim coordinated attacks with Tuareg rebels in Mali

The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims JNIM, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, claimed responsibility on Saturday for a series of coordinated attacks with Tuareg rebels against strategic positions of the ruling junta in Mali. These attacks occurred on the outskirts of Bamako and in several other significant cities across the Sahelian country. Mali has faced over a decade of conflict and jihadist violence, but these recent coordinated assaults by jihadists and the Tuareg rebellion, specifically the Azawad Liberation Front FLA, are unprecedented since the junta took power in 2020. The fighting, which began Saturday morning, continued intensely into the afternoon, particularly in Kidal, a stronghold for separatist armed groups in the north. The government reported 16 civilian and military casualties and "limited material damage," stating that the situation was "totally under control." However, the FLA, a separatist group advocating for the Azawad territory in northern Mali, announced it had taken control of Kidal, a city previously recaptured by the Malian army with support from Russian Wagner paramilitary fighters in November 2023. The FLA also claims to have seized control of several positions in the Gao region. In a statement, JNIM declared "victory," attributing it to hard work and coordination with its "partners" and the "active participation of our brothers from the Azawad Liberation Front." JNIM claimed responsibility for attacks on the Malian President Assimi Goïta's headqu