2024 Bamako attacks

On 17 September 2024, gunmen attacked several locations across Bamako. Bamako is the capital of Mali. The locations included police stations and military installations. At least 77 people were killed and more than 255 others were injured. The Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an Islamist militant group affiliated with al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility.

## Background 
Mali has been in a state of conflict since 2012. Different groups fight for control and influence. Some of these groups are linked to Al-Qaeda  or the Islamic State. Others are Tuareg rebels, or self-declared defence forces. Still others are simple .  In an effort to resolve the situation, the Malian Armed Forces ousted the civilian government in a 2020 coup and resorted to allowing Russian mercenaries, after expelling French forces. Bamako itself had largely been unaffected by the fighting,. The last related incident had been an attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in 2015 that killed 20 people. Gunmen attacked several locations across Bamako including the Banankabougou neighbourhood, the Faladie military police school housing elite units of the Malian gendarmerie Clashes were also reported from a police station which contros access to one of the airports. and a drone, and opened fire at a drone platform and the presidential hangar of the military airport. An aircraft used for humanitarian work by the World Food Programme was also damaged on the ground, according to its owner, the South African–based National Airways Corporation, adding that its crew and staff were secured in a safe house. The attacks were also said to have set fire to several buildings and infrastructure.

The attacks lasted for about nine hours

## Casualties 
No official numbers of casualties were released by authorities. As such, estimates of the casualties vary. The death toll is between  77 and more than 100.  255 others were injured. Among the dead were 50 military police students who were buried on 19 September.

In the aftermath of the attack, one person was set on fire by residents on suspicion of being a militant.

## Reactions 
Mali’s military government downplayed the incident with officials stating the situation was “under control” and the attack had been repelled. Officials later admitted the military had suffered casualties. The World Food Programme said the loss of one of its aircraft at Bamako Airport "reduces our humanitarian response capacity", noting that the plane was used to "transport aid workers and provide emergency humanitarian aid in remote areas of Mali".

On 24 September, Mali's military leader Assimi Goïta held a meeting with the country's defence establishment. The idea was to review security arrangements and "adjust strategy". Goita also paid tribute to the victims of the attack, adding that it showed "the imperative need to remain vigilant and maintain an exemplary operational stance in all circumstances".

Jean-Herve Jezequel, Sahel project director at the International Crisis Group, said that one possible reason for the attack could be that "the jihadists are trying to send a message to the Malian authorities that they can hit them anywhere and therefore that the big cities must also be protected". He said the militants may want to force Mali to concentrate its resources in areas where more people live and deploy fewer troops in rural areas where the jihadists have their strongholds.
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