Mali army eliminates senior JNIM commander in targeted drone operation

The Malian armed forces (FAMa) announced on Sunday 14 June the neutralisation of a jihadist leader considered a key figure in the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).

The army’s general staff said the man, known by the aliases Oumar Kéréna, Farouk and Housseini Mawdo, was killed in a drone strike on 3 June in Mougnan, a locality about 40 kilometres from Djenné in central Mali.

Malian authorities describe him as a former member of the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) who over the years became an influential leader within jihadist groups operating in Mali and the wider region.

Key figure in jihadist networks

The army stated that the neutralised commander had held responsibilities in the Serma area before overseeing armed activities in several sectors of the Sikasso and Koutiala regions, as well as in parts of neighbouring Burkina Faso.

The general staff considers that he played a central role in coordinating networks affiliated with JNIM, the main jihadist coalition active in the Sahel and linked to Al-Qaida.

Bamako intensifies security strategy

This announcement comes a few days after an unprecedented decision by the Malian authorities. On 4 June, the government established a system of financial rewards of up to two billion CFA francs for any information leading to the location or arrest of several leaders of armed and terrorist groups.

The largest bounty targets Iyad Ag Ghali, considered the country’s most wanted man.

This new operation illustrates the strengthening of military pressure by Bamako against jihadist groups, against a backdrop of resurgent armed attacks and persistent security tensions in several regions of Mali and the Sahel.