Mali: Army claims destruction of jihadist positions in wake of Mourdiah Military Base attack

The Malian armed forces, FAMA, announced Tuesday December 26 they dealt blows to radical Islamist militants of Ansar Dine militant group that attacked the Mourdiah Military Base in central Mali.

Mourdiah base came under attack on Monday December 25. The militants claimed to have inflicted significant losses on the Malian Armed Forces. In a statement, they reportedly claimed the killing of dozens of soldiers and the seizure of a considerable cache of weapons.

The Malian army acknowledged the incident that it termed “complex terrorist attack” and announced a retaliation.

The FAMA Tuesday said the base was recovered thanks to the professionalism of its soldiers. However, it also indicated the recovery of the base left several soldiers killed in fighting with militants led by Iyad Ag Ghaly, a prominent Touareg militant.

“The deployment of special forces and aerial vectors made it possible to observe and destroy several terrorist targets that were in the process of retreating in the Naoulena sector, a nearby locality,” the Army added.

The latest attack was the major setback suffered by the Army since taking back the city of Kidal in November 2023 from Touareg rebels who besieged region for 10 years.