Battle of Bamba

On April 6, 2020, jihadist militants from the al-Qaeda linked Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) attacked a secluded Malian military base in Bamba, killing dozens of Malian soldiers. A raid in retribution the following day killed JNIM leader Abu Yahya al-Jizari.

Battle of Bamba
Part of Mali War
Malian soldiers in Bamba after the attack
Date April 6, 2020 Location Bamba, Mali Result JNIM victory
Belligerents
Mali	Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Abu Yahya al-Jazairi †
Casualties and losses
Malian claim: 25 killed, 6 wounded JNIM claim: 30 killed or wounded	Malian claim: ~12[1]

Battle

Prior to the battle, residents of Bamba stated JNIM militants were riding around the town on motorbikes, and setting up positions in preparation for the attack.^[2] The attack was launched at 5:15am on April 6, with the fighters attacking an old inn that Malian troops were using as a military base.^[2][3] After destroying and seizing equipment from the base, the jihadists retreated.^[3][4] The attack was claimed four days later, on April 10, by JNIM.^[5]

Casualties and aftermath

On the day of the attack, local elected officials stated that at least twenty Malian soldiers were killed in the attack.^[4] Both civilians and the elected officials stated that JNIM only targeted the Malian base, and no civilians were harmed.^[2][1] In the following days, after Malian operations to recover bodies and the captured weaponry, it was assessed that 25 Malian troops were killed and six wounded, with around a dozen JNIM fighters sustaining casualties during the battle.^[1][6] JNIM claimed in its statement admitting its involvement in the attack that around 30 Malian troops were killed.^[5]

In late April, it was reported that Abu Yahya al-Jizari, the leader of JNIM and commander in the battle at Bamba, succumbed to injuries sustained during combat in Bamba.^[7] He was later replaced by Talha al-Libi.^[8]

References

1. "Mali. Au moins 25 soldats tués dans une attaque attribuée aux djihadistes". Ouest-France via AFP. April 7, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
2. "Dozens of Malian soldiers killed in attack on military base". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
3. "Mali: un camp militaire attaqué par des jihadistes dans la région de Gao". RFI (in French). 2020-04-06. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
4. "Au moins 20 soldats maliens tués dans une attaque". LEFIGARO (in French). 2020-04-06. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
5. "Al-Qaïda au Sahel revendique une attaque et salue le coronavirus". VOA (in French). Retrieved 2023-02-08.
6. "25 soldiers killed in northern Mali attack: official - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on 2020-04-07. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
7. "Abu Yahya al-Jazairi". Counter Extremism Project. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
8. "Letter dated 16 July 2020 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da'esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security Council" (PDF). United Nations Security Council. July 23, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2023.