Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso launch coordinated airstrikes against JNIM strongholds.

Reports from Al Arabiya television indicate that the armed forces of Sahel nations have coordinated a significant offensive targeting militant strongholds within Mali. A source cited by the broadcaster confirmed that Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso executed extensive airstrikes against extremist positions situated in the Sikasso and Kulikoro regions.

Tensions have escalated sharply following an announcement on April 28 by militants affiliated with the jihadist group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which is linked to Al-Qaeda. The group declared the initiation of a complete siege on Bamako, the capital of Mali. This declaration comes after a series of violent incidents reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense on April 25, which stated that fighters from JNIM and the Azawad Liberation Front launched assaults on Bamako as well as the cities of Sevare, Gao, and Kidal.

These attacks aimed to capture critical administrative and military installations, including the presidential palace. The violence resulted in the death of Sadiou Kamara, the head of Mali's Ministry of Defense. Kamara was killed in an explosion caused by a suicide car bomb near his residence at the Kati military base, located on the outskirts of the capital.

The Russian Ministry of Defense further alleged that the militants conducting these operations received training from European and Ukrainian instructors. In a separate development, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed the ongoing losses suffered by the African Corps operating in Mali.