Battle of the Sama Forest

On July 16, 2015, the Malian army raided a jihadist base in the Sama Forest, in southern Mali's Sikasso Region. The raid is one of the few confrontations between jihadists and the Malian army in southern Mali, and marked the end of the Khalid ibn Walid katiba and jihadist expansion in southern Mali.

Battle of the Sama Forest
Part of Mali War
DateJuly 16, 2015
Location
Sama Forest, Sikasso Region, Mali
Result Malian victory
Belligerents

Mali

Khalid ibn Walid katiba
Casualties and losses
2 injured 5 killed
21 arrested

Background

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In 2015, Ansar Dine, a Malian jihadist group usually based in the north of the country, attempted to expand southwards and create a new front in southern Mali's Sikasso Region.[1] On June 10, 2015, the Ansar Dine-affiliated katiba Khalid ibn Walid katiba attacked a Malian gendarmerie post in Misséni on the Ivorian border, killing one gendarme, torching vehicles, and raising their black flag over the camp.[2] The second ever attack in Sikasso region occurred on June 28, when Ansar Dine-affiliated men captured the town of Fakola with no resistance, and retreated after a few hours.[3]

In July, more jihadists were captured headed southwards. An emissary of Ansar Dine commander Iyad Ag Ghaly was captured on July 9 near Bamako, and on July 13, twenty suspected jihadist recruits were arrested on a bus headed from Côte d'Ivoire into Mali.[4][5] The suspects included thirteen Mauritanians, two Malians, two French, and two Franco-Malian dual nationals. Most were members of the Dawa sect of Islam.[6]

Battle

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After the attacks in June, the Malian Army began combing operations in Sikasso, especially in the Sama Forest close to the Ivorian border.[7] On July 16, intelligence from locals led Malian forces to a jihadist base in the forest. Two offensives were carried out by the 33rd Parachute Commando Regiment, considered an elite unit of the Malian army, and they captured weapons and equipment from the camp. Many of the jihadists ere killed or fled.[8][9]

The jihadists reportedly were from Ansar Dine and Katiba Macina and the "barefoot" sect.[9] Souleymane Keita, the founder of the Khalid ibn Walid katiba, fled to Guinea.[10]

Aftermath

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While the Malian government did not release a statement about the battle, French news agencies reported the injuries of two Malian soldiers.[11] Ten jihadists were killed and ten were captured, according to the BBC, and Studio Tamani claimed the deaths of thirty fighters and fifteen taken prisoner.[12][13] Jeune Afrique later reported that the katiba had thirty fighters, according to a Malian military official. Five of those were killed, fourteen were captured by Malian forces, and seven were arrested by Ivorian forces.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Mali : le groupe djihadiste Ansar Eddine revendique des attaques dans le Sud". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2015-06-30. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  2. ^ "Première attaque jihadiste dans le sud du Mali". RFI (in French). 2015-06-11. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  3. ^ "Mali: attaque de jihadistes dans le sud du pays". RFI (in French). 2015-06-28. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  4. ^ "Mali: alerte sécuritaire après l'arrestation d'un proche d'Iyad Ag Ghali". RFI (in French). 2015-07-11. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  5. ^ "Mali: des jihadistes présumés arrêtés près de la frontière ivoirienne". RFI (in French). 2015-07-15. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  6. ^ "Mali: les jihadistes présumés appartiendraient à une secte, la Dawa". RFI (in French). 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  7. ^ "Opérations anti-jihadistes à la frontière entre le Mali et la Côte d'Ivoire". RFI (in French). 2015-07-02. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  8. ^ "Mali : plusieurs jihadistes tués à la frontière ivoirienne dans une opération militaire - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  9. ^ a b "Mali: un camp militaire jihadiste détruit dans le sud du pays". RFI (in French). 2015-07-16. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  10. ^ a b "Mali : Keïta et Koufa, l'inquiétant duo terroriste du Sud - Jeune Afrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  11. ^ "Mali: plusieurs jihadistes tués à la frontière ivoirienne, leur camp détruit". Le Point (in French). 2015-07-17. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  12. ^ "Un camp d'entraînement de jihadistes démantelé dans la forêt de " Sama " à Sikasso". malijet.com. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  13. ^ "Mali : l'armée détruit un camp djihadiste". BBC News Afrique (in French). 2015-07-17. Retrieved 2024-02-01.