2017 Boulikessi attack

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2017 Boulikessi attack
Part of Mali War
DateMach 5, 2017
Location
Boulikessi, Mali
Result JNIM victory
Belligerents

Mali

  • Waraba Battalion
 Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin
Commanders and leaders
Lt. Col. Abdoulaye Diallo † Unknown
Casualties and losses
15 killed
5 injured
3 captured		 2 wounded (per JNIM)

On March 5, 2017, jihadists from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin attacked Malian forces in Boulikessi. The attack was the first by JNIM since its inception that month.

Background

Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin was formed in March 2017 as a coalition of five jihadist groups that initially rebelled against the Malian government in 2012. These groups included Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Katiba Macina, Al-Mourabitoun, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa, and Ansar Dine, whose leader Iyad Ag Ghaly also became leader of JNIM.[1]

Attack

The Waraba battalion of the Malian Army was attacked around 5am by three pickups in Boulikessi while on patrol on March 5.[2] The soldiers fled the scene, some ending up in the village of Dambatousougou in Burkina Faso, and others in Mondoro.[3][4] Much of the Malian Army's equipment and weapons were destroyed or captured by the jihadists.[5] The commander of the Malian detachment, Lieutenant-Colonel Abdoulaye Diallo, was killed fending off the jihadists.[6] Fighting lasted for four hours.[6] Fighters from the pro-government Arab Movement of Azawad were present near the attack, but did not intervene.[7]

The Malian government deployed reinforcements from the Waraba and Debo battalions, along with French forces, to search for the perpetrators.[5]

Aftermath

AFP claimed the attack was perpetrated by Ansarul Islam shortly after news broke, but JNIM claimed responsibility on March 9.[8][5]

The Malian ministry of defense claimed the deaths of eleven soldiers and the injuries of five others.[5] A resident of Boulikessi, speaking to Nord Sud Journal, claimed thirteen soldiers were killed.[7] The UN reported in its March 2017 report that fifteen Malian soldiers were killed and five were injured.[9] JNIM claimed only two of their fighters were wounded in the attack, and claimed to have killed a dozen Malian soldiers.[10]

Three Malian soldiers taken captive during the attack appeared in JNIM propaganda videos in October 2017.[11]

References

  1. ^ Nsaibia, Héni (2023-11-13). "Actor Profile: Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM)". ACLED. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  2. ^ "Attaque de Bulkessi". archive.wikiwix.com. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  3. ^ "Mali: attaque meurtrière à Boulikessi, à la frontière avec le Burkina Faso". RFI (in French). 2017-03-06. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  4. ^ "Mali: 11 morts dans une attaque contre l'armée". Le Figaro (in French). 2017-03-05. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  5. ^ a b c d "Attaque meurtrière contre l'armée dans le centre du Mali". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2017-03-06. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  6. ^ a b "Armée : Le Commandant Abdoulaye Diallo tombe les armes à la main". Bamada.net. 2017-03-08. Archived from the original on 2017-03-11. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  7. ^ a b Journal, Nordsud (2017-03-05). "Mopti : Au moins 13 soldats maliens tués dans une attaque djihadiste à Boulekssi". nordsudjournal (in French). Archived from the original on 2017-03-07. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  8. ^ "Mali : 11 militaires tués dans une attaque attribuée à des jihadistes – Jeune Afrique". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  9. ^ "Rapport du Secrétaire général sur la situation au Mali" (PDF). United Nations Security Council. March 30, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  10. ^ "Mali: le "Groupe de soutien" jihadiste revendique l'attaque de Boulikessi". RFI (in French). 2017-03-10. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  11. ^ "Mali: la principale coalition terroriste multiplie les opérations de propagande". RFI (in French). 2017-10-20. Retrieved 2024-01-01.