Imagine losing 130 soldiers in a single morning and then having to abandon your own barracks. That is what just happened in central Mali.

According to cbinews.tv, jihadists killed more than 100 soldiers in central Mali this month, with two sources putting the toll at 120 to 130 dead and more than 100 taken hostage. The army said it evacuated troops from the camp under attack and launched a retaliatory operation lasting over a week.

The September 10 attack hit Dioura, while a second strike targeted the airport at Sevare. Both were claimed by Jamaat Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimin, JNIM, the al Qaeda-linked group that dominates the Sahel insurgency.

In April, JNIM joined forces with the Tuareg-led separatist group FLA for nationwide attacks that killed Mali's defence minister and hit the main airport in Bamako, showing how little ground pro-government fighters have gained.

A security source said 130 died in Dioura. A diplomatic source said around 120 were killed. JNIM itself claimed 150 dead in Dioura and later said it killed 33 pro-government forces in Sevare and Konna.

One resident who visited Sevare hospital told Reuters he saw about 40 wounded Malian soldiers and Russian fighters. As of Monday, Sevare airport had endured six consecutive nights of shelling.

Behind the numbers are young soldiers posted to isolated camps and civilians trapped in between. Residents in Sevare and Konna spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, saying Russian troops were no longer visible in Sevare and that JNIM fighters on motorbikes had encircled the camp in Konna, about 55 km away. Hospitals are filling up while families wait for news.

Central Mali is the gateway to the south. If Dioura and Sevare fall or become unusable, supply lines, aid flights and drone operations are cut. It also exposes the limits of Mali's reliance on the Russian paramilitary group Africa Corps, formerly Wagner, which fights alongside the Malian army.

JNIM uses fast motorbike assaults, mortars and airport shelling to stretch the army. Africa Corps provides air support and ground backup but cannot hold every outpost. When a camp is overrun, the army often pulls out, hits back with air strikes, then tries to reclaim ground.

The Malian army said some soldiers fell on the field of honour while significant losses were inflicted on attackers, and that operations continue. Civilians are advised to avoid military sites, follow local alerts and expect further movement of troops around the Mopti region.

Historical perspective: Mali has been in conflict since a Tuareg rebellion in 2012 that was hijacked by jihadists. Two coups in 2020 and 2021 brought military rulers to power who turned away from France and towards Russia. Despite that pivot, JNIM has expanded, now operating close to Bamako and controlling large rural areas.

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