Mali attacks: More than 40 civilians killed as armed men storm camps in Menaka region

What happened

According to multiple security and local sources, the attacks took place over the weekend in camps roughly 50 kilometres from the town of Menaka, in and around the village of Tinabow and the Tagadayat area. The assailants reportedly moved into the settlements on motorcycles, firing on residents and setting homes alight.

Casualty numbers vary by source

Reports of the death toll differ. AFP was told by security and community sources that more than 40 civilians were killed. A security source based in Gao said:

“According to the information we have received, there were about 40 deaths, mostly men.”

Another security source gave a higher figure, saying that “they fired at anything that moved. Fifty civilians were killed, including young people and the elderly,” and that people fleeing the violence were arriving in Menaka. A local elected official separately spoke of “more than 50 dead, including women and the elderly.” The Daoussahak community’s executive bureau said that “48 civilians were killed” in Tagadayat, condemned the “massacre” and appealed for emergency humanitarian aid for the displaced.

Local eyewitness accounts

A resident of Tinabow described the attack to AFP, saying that on Sunday evening “several dozen motorcycles suddenly arrived and (the attackers) began shooting and setting homes on fire.” The same source added: “They didn’t speak to anyone. They just started killing. I saw dozens of bodies.”

Claims of responsibility and context

The Daoussahak community’s executive bureau blamed the killings on the Islamic State group, according to AFP. Community sources also noted that the Daoussahak are the community from which the armed Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA) originated; the MSA is reported to be aligned with the ruling government in Bamako.

A security source based in Gao told AFP that the massacre occurred “in retaliation for military operations carried out in the area recently and for attacks by the MSA.” These are characterisations offered by that source and reflect one account of motive reported to AFP.

Military activity in the area

The Malian army said it had conducted operations in the same area on Saturday, about 65 kilometres southwest of Menaka, and struck “a major base housing several terrorist elements and military equipment.” The army’s statement is one part of the broader sequence of events cited by local and security sources.

Why this matters

The attacks underscore the persistent insecurity in northern and eastern Mali. Since 2012, the country has faced a multi-sided security crisis involving the Malian army and allied forces, various jihadist groups, Tuareg separatist movements and criminal networks. Economic difficulties and political instability have been repeatedly cited in reporting on the wider crisis.

The ruling junta in Bamako, which came to power after coups in 2020 and 2021, has enlisted external security partners in recent years. International reporting notes that Mali contracted paramilitary personnel formerly associated with the Wagner Group, which sources say reconstituted as the Africa Corps in 2025. Those developments form part of the regional security backdrop against which the latest attacks occurred.

Immediate consequences

Survivors said people were fleeing the attacked camps and arriving in Menaka. Community leaders called for emergency humanitarian assistance for those displaced. The differing casualty counts reflect the fog of violence that often follows mass-casualty incidents in remote areas, where access, communication and independent verification are limited.

What to watch next

Authorities, local leaders and humanitarian organisations will likely seek to confirm casualty figures, assist displaced residents and secure the area. In contexts like this, investigations can take time as officials attempt to reconcile multiple reports, collect evidence and establish responsibility.

For now, the facts reported to AFP are clear that armed men attacked camps near Menaka over the weekend, that scores of civilians were killed with varying figures reported by different sources, and that communities are calling for assistance in the aftermath.

Sources

This article is based on reporting and direct quotes supplied to AFP by security and community sources and local witnesses in Mali.