Alliance of Sahel States confirms joint airstrikes in Mali

Niger’s government said the Alliance of Sahel States carried out joint airstrikes in Mali after a wave of coordinated attacks that hit several towns on April 25.

According to the Nigerien cabinet statement carried by the country’s official news agency, the AES unified force launched intense air campaigns in response to attacks by jihadist and separatist forces. AFP-syndicated reporting and Africanews carried the same claim, while Reuters and AP provided context on the wider offensive in Mali.

The April 25 violence hit multiple locations, including Kati, Gao, Menaka, Sevare and Kidal. Reporting said Mali’s defense minister, Sadio Camara, was killed in the attacks, and separatist fighters seized Kidal.

The new claim marks a public assertion of coordinated cross-border military action by the AES bloc, which brings together Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. But the reporting available so far does not independently verify the strikes on the ground, and it remains unclear what damage or casualties, if any, resulted from them.

It is also not yet clear whether Mali or Burkina Faso have issued separate official confirmations, or how long the AES air campaign may continue.