In October, heavy fighting was reported between Islamic State and al-Qaeda fighters. This has been the case again for ten days in the Malian Gourma region. The local branches of the two terrorist organizations, AQIM and EIGS, compete in the Sahel for control of certain areas.
A previous battle of significance also took place last spring, in the Three Borders Mali-Niger-Burkina area. The clashes between AQIM and EIGS would mobilize hundreds of fighters, according to leaders of armed groups in the north, signatories to the peace agreement but observers aware of the jihadist groups’ activities on their land, military sources, and analysts of the security situation in the region.
The latest clashes are concentrated in Gourma and more specifically in the municipalities of Indelimane, Ntillit or even N’Daki, in the Gao region. These are usually very localized “meetings”, targeted murders or ambushes, and not large-scale blows.
Between April and June this year, it was already in this area of Liptako-Gourma that the local branches of the Islamic State andal Qaeda had collided. Since then, the fighting between the two international jihadist organizations had calmed down, for the Sahelian terrain, without ceasing altogether.
“Advantage of GSIM”
Islamic State fighters would have won some victories for the first time, especially thanks to men from Nigeria. “We have seen people speaking languages that are not known in Mali,” reports a local source. These reinforcements are reported by several sources who do not necessarily agree with their scope.
In recent days, the support group for Islam and Muslims (GSIMou JNIM, according to its abbreviation in Arabic), linked to Aqmi, has taken over. The conflicts would have killed dozens of people, ultimately with a “benefit for GSIM” that the various sources contacted agree on, even if there is no reliable assessment.
“These fights are part of a long time,” explains in particular a high-ranking officer stationed in the region, who believes that the current battle is largely “observation and wear” and that the end result is so far.
Barkhane strikes
Finally, several sources mention airstrikes by the French Barkhane force: they were carried out in recent days, they would have mainly targeted AQIM positions, which would have benefited the fighters of the Islamic State group.
Barkhane does not want to “comment” on the subject but specifies to carry out his operations “according to available information”, “without discrimination” between enemy terrorist groups.
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