The administration of US President Donald Trump is discussing the possibility of conducting a military operation against Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a terrorist group operating in Mali, AzerNEWS reports.
According to The Washington Post, citing current and former US officials familiar with the deliberations, if the US authorities decide to carry out such an operation, Mali would become the eighth country targeted by strikes ordered by Trump since the beginning of his second presidential term. The list also includes Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria and Venezuela.
The official also called terrorism in the Sahel a “multinational problem,” adding: “We urge regional partners and NATO allies to support the Alliance of Sahel States in their war against JNIM and ISIS.”
The Pentagon declined to comment, while the State Department said the US “unequivocally condemns the terrorist activity in Mali,” according to the report.
???????In 2018, the US State Department designated JNIM in Mali as a foreign terrorist organization.
In the most recent fighting, the JNIM ambushed a Mali military convoy, reportedly killing or capturing at least 50 soldiers. The JNIM also released video appearing to show soldiers surrendering.