The armed forces of the African countries of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso conducted a military operation against militants in northern Mali, Al Arabiya television channel reported.
According to it, the armies of three countries carried out massive air strikes on militant positions in Mali.
It was previously reported that armed groups had attempted a coup in the country. Units of the African Corps prevented the coup, as well as mass civilian casualties.
Fuseinou Ouattara, vice president of the defense commission of the country's transitional council, said that Bamako had coordinated actions with Burkina Faso and Niger as part of the joint forces of the Confederation of Sahel States.
In late April 2026, the country was rocked by large-scale and unprecedentedly coordinated attacks that questioned the stability of the regime.
On April 25, jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda (JNIM) and separatists from the Front for the Liberation of Azawad (FLA) carried out simultaneous attacks across the country, including in the capital, Bamako.
General Sadio Camara, a key figure in the collaboration with Russia.
The rebels have taken control of the strategic city of Kidal in the north of the country, forcing the Malian army and Russian troops to withdraw.
A nighttime curfew has been imposed in the capital, and the army claims the situation is under control, despite ongoing fighting.
The leader of the junta, General Assimi Goita, has officially extended his term until 2030 without holding elections.
Political parties have been dissolved, and the media and activists are subject to severe repression.
Mali finally left the regional bloc ECOWAS in 2025 and relies almost entirely on its partnership with Russia, Burkina Faso and Niger within the Alliance of Sahel States.
The “Wagner“ officially ended its mission in June 2025 and was replaced by the Russian Ministry of Defense-controlled “Africa Corps“.
Russian forces remain in the country to support the junta, but recent attacks have revealed serious difficulties in dealing with the jihadists' decentralized guerrilla warfare