Death Toll Passes 100 in Mali Attack

An al-Qaida-linked militant group killed more than 100 Malian soldiers in a Sept. 10 attack on the Dioura military camp in central Mali, according to security, military and local sources, making it one of the deadliest assaults on the army in years. JNIM claimed it killed 150 soldiers and captured 93, while other sources reported more than 80 prisoners; the figures could not be independently verified, and Mali’s military has not released a detailed casualty toll. The army said it conducted air-and-ground operations, evacuated troops from the besieged camp and inflicted losses on the attackers, but the base was reportedly abandoned afterward. Sources also said five Russian Africa Corps personnel may have been killed at Dioura, underscoring Mali’s reliance on Russian support since its military rulers broke with France. JNIM separately claimed attacks near the military airport in Sevare, where local accounts described continued shelling and numerous wounded Malian and Russian personnel.