Residents near the base reported intense gunfire and explosions beginning around 5:00 AM. «It was clearly a terrorist attack,» said a San resident. «We heard nonstop gunfire and heavy blasts until the situation calmed down later in the morning.» The Malian military released a statement acknowledging what it called a «foiled attack on the San army camp at 5:30 AM.» It claimed a «strong counteroffensive by FAMa forces» had successfully repelled the assault, adding that «stability has been restored.»

Jihadist group claims responsibility

The JNIM, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated coalition, asserted responsibility for the operation in a statement released Sunday. The group alleged it had «seized full control of a Malian military barracks in San, located in the Ségou region,» during the early hours. This follows a devastating attack on July 18, when at least fifty soldiers were killed in northern Mali after their convoy was ambushed by a jihadist coalition including the JNIM and Tuareg separatists from the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). That incident remains one of the deadliest against Malian forces since the conflict escalated.

Since 2012, Mali has faced a severe security crisis driven by violence from groups tied to Al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State, as well as communal militias and Tuareg independence movements. The crisis has deepened an already fragile economic situation. Following two military coups in 2020 and 2021, the country is now led by a junta that rose to power vowing to restore security and preserve national unity.