Mali: Dioura camp massacre leaves nearly 80 soldiers dead
Nearly 80 Malian soldiers were killed on 10 September when the Dioura camp in the Mopti region came under attack. Hours after this particularly deadly assault, the JNIM claimed to have seized the key FAMa position before withdrawing. Several soldiers are missing, and others have been taken prisoner.
In Mali, the Dioura camp was struck in the early hours of 10 September. One of the largest military positions in the centre of the country, it housed several hundred troops — roughly the strength of a battalion. Fighters from the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) managed to enter the military compound after clashes broke out. They claimed to have taken the position before pulling back. Videos released by the group show its members moving through Dioura after the assault. Bodies of soldiers lie on the ground, buildings are on fire, and stocks of motorcycles have been torched. The footage confirms the jihadists were inside the camp, though it does not on its own establish the full scale of the human toll.
Information gathered from two sources close to the Malian Ministry of Defence, who requested anonymity, indicates that more than 80 soldiers perished in the attack. The same sources say the death toll could still rise. A number of soldiers are also reported missing, while others have been captured.
Military command gives no casualty figures
The Malian army officially acknowledged the Dioura attack. In a statement, the military command said it had launched “air and ground operations” against the assailants and claimed to have neutralised “several dozen terrorists”. Motorcycles and pickup trucks were reportedly destroyed as well. The command provided no details on the number of Malian soldiers killed, wounded, missing or captured. Russian mercenaries from Africa Corps, who operate alongside the FAMa in several parts of the country, are not deployed at Dioura.
A position previously targeted by JNIM
The Dioura camp has already paid a heavy price in jihadist attacks. In May 2025, the JNIM killed around 40 soldiers during an offensive against the same position. The latest assault once again demonstrates the group’s ability to mass fighters against important military installations, temporarily occupy them, and then withdraw. Dioura is the latest in a series of operations claimed by JNIM. The group also announced an ambush on a convoy of the Malian army and Africa Corps near Sikasso. In Sofara, another attack killed at least 11 people, including Russian soldiers and dozo hunters.
