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December 2022 Ménaka region clashes

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December 2022 Ménaka region clashes
Part of JNIM-ISGS war in the Mali War
DateDecember 3–10, 2022
Location
Tadjalalt, Haroum, N'Tillit, and surrounding villages, Gao Region, Mali
Result

Inconclusive

Belligerents
Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin Islamic State in the Greater Sahara
Commanders and leaders
Iyad ag Ghali Unknown
Strength
~700 Unknown
Casualties and losses
100 (per ISGS) 73+ (per JNIM)
70+ civilians killed

Between December 3 and 10, 2022, militants from Islamic State in the Greater Sahara and al-Qaeda-linked Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin clashed in eastern Mali, at the river between the towns of Tadjalalt and Haroum.

Prelude

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Main article: JNIM-ISGS war

While originally allies against the Malian government throughout the Mali War, since 2020 JNIM and ISGS have clashed in Mali due to ideological differences.[1] In March 2022, ISGS went on an offensive against the Malian government, Tuareg rebels, and JNIM.[2] In May 2022, the two groups agreed to a truce, although this truce expired sometime in September.[3] Clashes between ISGS and JNIM in particular escalated in November, with fighting in Gao and Timbuktu regions killing an unknown amount of fighters.[4] A Tuareg source speaking to Le Monde stated that JNIM usually sends soldiers out one wave at a time, with each wave containing around 700 soldiers.[2]

Battle

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In the rural village of N'Tillit, fighting began on December 3 between the two groups, with 583 households being displaced.[5] On December 4, clashes flared up in the village of Tin Djiridjitane, with JNIM capturing the ISGS base of Fitili.[6] These clashes were just 15 kilometers away from a Malian army base in Tessit.[6] The commander of a local Tuareg militia, Fahad Ag al-Mahmoud, claimed the battle near Fitili inflicted heavy casualties on both sides, with JNIM ultimately winning.[7] al-Mahmoud alleged that following the battle, the remnants of the ISGS fighters dispersed, and JNIM committed massacres on December 5 in the towns of Idarfan and Alabadje, killing around 70 people.[8][9]

Clashes resumed between the two groups in the villages of Tadjalalt and Haroum on December 7, with the battles being the heaviest of the clashes.[10] In the battle, A Malian air force jet was alleged to have flown over the battlefield during the battle.[10] Fighting in the towns lasted until December 10, with JNIM claiming to have killed over seventy-three ISGS fighters in Haroum alone. Conversely, ISGS claimed to have killed a hundred JNIM soldiers.[2] Due to the heavy losses from the battles, both jihadist groups returned to their positions by the Malian-Burkinabe and Nigerien-Malian borders.[2] Low-intensity skirmishes continued until December 13.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Islamic State-linked jihadists kill at least 40 civilians in Mali amid turf war". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 2022-02-19. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  2. ^ a b c d "Au Mali, les djihadistes affichent leur force, les anciens rebelles du Nord leur exaspération et la junte son impuissance". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2022-12-26. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  3. ^ "Salafi-Jihadi Areas of Operation in the Sahel". Critical Threats. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  4. ^ "December Alerts and November Trends 2022". www.crisisgroup.org. 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  5. ^ "Dozens killed as jihadist groups clash in eastern Mali". Reuters. 2022-12-08. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  6. ^ a b Samparé, Djibril (2022-12-14). "Events from December 1st to the 4th". WAMAPS. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  7. ^ azawad, Ag (2022-12-04). "تيسي : إشتباكات عنيفة بين النصرة داعش في تيندرجيتن". مؤسسة النهضة الإعلامية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  8. ^ Almahmoud, Fahad [@Idarfa] (2022-12-05). "Courant la journée d'hier des véhicules probablement du JNIM ont commis des exactions contre la population Idarfanes dans la zone d'In Alabadje à l'Est d'Ansongo. Elles seraient accusées d'être proches de l'EIS. Les deux organisations ont à présent le même comportement" [Yesterday, vehicles probably from JNIM committed abuses against the Idarfan population in the In Alabadje area east of Ansongo. They would be accused of being close to the ISIS. Both organizations now have the same behavior.] (Tweet) (in French). Archived from the original on 2023-03-02. Retrieved 2023-03-25 – via Twitter.
  9. ^ Almahmoud, Fahad [@Idarfa] (2022-12-06). "Les exactions du JNIM ce 04/12 dans le secteur d'Attolate contre les populations réputées proche de daech ont fait au moins 70 victimes civiles. Aucune autorité ne s'est rendue dans la zone quand bien même que c'est à quelques km d'Ansongo" [The abuses of the JNIM this 04/12 in the Attolate sector against populations reputed to be close to Daesh caused at least 70 civilian victims. No authority has visited the area even though it is a few km from Ansongo.] (Tweet) (in French). Archived from the original on 2023-03-02. Retrieved 2023-03-25 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ a b Theogo (2022-12-14). "Events from December 5th to the 11th 2022". WAMAPS. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  11. ^ "January Alerts and December Trends 2022". www.crisisgroup.org. 2022-12-31. Retrieved 2023-03-02.

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