#Mali: Unofficial #JNIM video captioned: "This is what happens between Support of Islam [JNIM] and the Kharijites [#ISGS] (Kawaridiakobe in Fulfulde)", fighters including visibly child soldiers are seen beheading ISGS members/sympathizers in the area of Arabanda (Malian Gourma)
#Mali: An assassination campaign was carried out by Ansaroul Islam (#JNIM) during the first half of July in the areas of Kobou and Boulikessi, #Mopti
#Mali: Paradoxically, the video is accompanied by a signature #IslamicState nasheed, namely Qariban Qariba.
#Mali: AQIM/JNIM groups certainly committed such acts on numerous occasions, but such scenes were always edited out in official publications. JNIM has also gone to great lengths to hush up the jihadi-on-jihadi fighting.
#Mali: It is said in the video that it's a message to #ISGS in Arabanda in Mali and #BurkinaFaso, but the beheadings probably relate to the assassination campaign mentioned earlier.
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#Niger: This specific area has been largely overlooked in the context of the broader #Sahel conflict and overshadowed by the #ISGS insurgency in northern #Tillaberi.
#Niger: The double-tap ambush took place near Boni, where a key Operation Saki 2 border outpost is located. #JNIM-affiliated fighters are the likely perpetrators, notably under the command of Abu Hanifa, a lieutenant of #KatibaMacina's Amadou Kouffa.
#Sahel: Today, #JNIM released the video "If they fight you, fight them". It's been almost three years since JNIM released their last full-length video with combat footage, namely "And the Battle Continues".
#Sahel: This could be explained by several factors: First, the focus has been on the political line; second, JNIM's official media presence has declined significantly, and this is against the backdrop of several key media figures (in #Algeria and #Mali) being killed
#Sahel: The decline is particularly relevant when compared to #ISGS, which received major boost from its formal integration into #IslamicState's organizational infrastructure & media apparatus. However, this last video marks the effective recovery of #JNIM media wing Al-Zallaqa.
#BurkinaFaso: #JNIM has unofficially claimed through audio and photographs yesterday’s ambush against a Burkinabe joint force convoy accompanied by a team of three foreign nationals, all experienced professionals on an anti-poaching mission (or reportage)..
#BurkinaFaso: Including two Spanish journalists, one was a journalist and film director, a cameraman, and an Irish Zambia-born ranger, co-founder and president of Chengeta Wildlife, a conservationist NGO.
#BurkinaFaso: Four convoy members were wounded, the three foreigners mentioned above were killed, and a Burkinabe force member went missing.
#Sahel: Here’s a quick roundup of ISGS’s comeback in Al-Naba #271, no big surprises, the group claimed 9 operations over a 2-month period (or 9 weeks).
The primary focus is its Al-Qaeda counterpart #JNIM, accounting for 2/3 of the modest number of operations claimed, 2 out of 6 operations purportedly targeting JNIM were by local sources reported as civilian targeting, namely in N’Tillit (Oussadia) and Menaka (Inekar Ouest)
As usual, the claimed operations, only account for a fraction of the number of attacks conducted by the group, and as expected it did not claim the massacres in Tchomabangou and Zaroumadarey
#BurkinaFaso: To begin with several of these countries are on the alert, fearing spillover [or maybe even expansion] of violent militant activities into their countries, debatable if that will happen,..
#BurkinaFaso: ..non-violent activities is a reality though, movements, recruitment, logistic transfers. #Benin experienced what so far is a one-off incident with the killing of a Beninese tour guide and the abduction of a French couple
#Mali-#BREAKING: As expected #JNIM claims the March 17 assault against the #FAMa camp in Dioura (Ténenkou), #Mopti, says it killed nearly thirty soldiers, wounded others, while the remaining fled, and also burned eight vehicles
#Mali-#BREAKING: Further, burning the camp, and details a large seizure including 2x 14.5mm HMG, 1x DshK, 2 SPG-9 RCL rifles, 1 PK MMG, 82mm & 60mm mortars, 6 military vehicles, 38 AKs and RPGs
#Mali-#BREAKING: Once again, #JNIM portrays itself as defenders of the Fulani, and the attack as a revenge for crimes committed by the Malian army and with it associated militias i.e. Dozos