Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM)

Force in Play

Hit Kati, Sevare, Mopti and the Bamako airport area

Before dawn on April 25, 2026, gunmen hit Mali's capital, the Kati military base, and the cities of Sevare, Gao and Kidal in the most coordinated single-day attack the country has seen in years. By mid-morning the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) said its fighters held Kidal — the symbolic seat of the Tuareg independence movement — and the regional governor had taken refuge in a former United Nations compound. At the Kati base outside Bamako, Defence Minister General Sadio Camara's residence was destroyed.

Updated 4 hours ago

Force in Play

Dominant jihadist force in the Sahel, shifting toward economic warfare

At the peak in 2014, terrorism killed roughly 33,000 people worldwide — driven largely by the Islamic State's rapid territorial conquest across Iraq and Syria. Twelve years later, the Global Terrorism Index for 2026 reports that annual deaths have dropped 83%, to 5,582 — the lowest figure since 2007. Terrorist incidents fell 22% to 2,944, and 81 countries recorded improvements.

Updated Mar 28

Force in Play

Expanding operations across Sahel and coastal West Africa

Armed men on motorcycles attacked Niger's main airport and military air base outside Niamey on January 29, 2026, triggering a firefight that left 20 attackers dead and 4 security personnel wounded. Military ruler Abdourahamane Tiani immediately accused France, Benin, and Ivory Coast of sponsoring the assault—offering no evidence. The next day, the Islamic State – Sahel Province claimed responsibility through its Amaq News Agency, directly contradicting the junta's allegations. Benin's government rejected Tiani's claims. A uranium stockpile moved from a French-controlled mine sat nearby, reportedly unaffected.

Updated Feb 5

Force in Play

Active in Timbuktu region, enforcing blockade

A ferry carrying rice farmers and their families struck rocks and sank near the town of Diré in Mali's Timbuktu region on January 8, 2026, killing 38 people. The captain had refused to wait until morning to dock—a decision that violated security rules prohibiting after-dark landings due to al-Qaeda-linked militant activity. When he attempted an alternate landing site, the vessel hit submerged rocks and went down.

Updated Jan 22