JNIM drones hit Russian Africa corps base

Footage recorded in April of this year shows combat operations occurring near the Russian Africa Corps Base located at Sévaré Airport in Mali. The event, which occurred on April 25, 2026, shows members of Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin, the al-Qaeda affiliate in the Sahel, launching coordinated attacks across Mali alongside its new tactical ally, the Tuareg-dominated Azawad Liberation Front, who are better known as the FLA. These strikes targeted Malian military and Russian Africa Corps positions in multiple locations, including the capital Bamako area, Gao, Kidal in the north, and crucially the central region around Mopti and Sévaré. Malian army statements, issued via the General Staff, confirmed clashes with “unidentified armed terrorist groups” in Sévaré and other sites, while framing the overall events as a thwarted coup attempt. JNIM claimed responsibility for strikes in Mopti, Sévaré, and elsewhere, later releasing its own propaganda video of the Sévaré operation, which can be seen above. The Sévaré assault specifically targeted the strategic Malian army base and adjacent Sévaré/Mopti Airport facilities, which host key air assets, a major central Mali military hub, and Russian Africa Corps personnel/barracks. JNIM fighters conducted a ground assault supported by drones, dropping explosives on positions inside the base, targeting aircraft, helicopters, and personnel. Social media and later JNIM-released footage show multiple drone strikes on Malian and Russian Africa Corps assets at the Mopti Airport and Sévaré site, with militants advancing and reportedly overrunning or infiltrating parts of the outpost.

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