| 2022 Bandiagara highway bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of theMali War | |
| Location | Sibo,Bandiagara-Goundaka highway,Mopti region,Mali |
| Date | October 13, 2022 |
| Deaths | 11 civilians killed |
| Injured | 53 injured |
| Perpetrator |  Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin |
On October 13, 2022, anIED hit a civilian bus travelling along theBandiagara-Goundaka highway in rural Mali, killing 10 civilians and injuring dozens more. The attack was alleged to be coordinated byJama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM).
The tri-state area betweenMali,Burkina Faso, andNiger has been a hub of jihadist violence since 2013, escalating in 2015. The area is home to several jihadist groups, includingJama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin,Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, andAnsar ul Islam.[1] In these areas, these militant groups often conduct bombings or ambushes along the highway against Malian, Nigerien, and Burkinabe troops, although they often conduct attacks against civilians.[2] In 2022, the United Nations reported an increase in civilian attacks in rural Mali, especially due to roadside bombs.[2] TheMopti region, where Bandiagara is located, was the deadliest region for these attacks, due to fighting between the army, pro-government and ethnic civilian militias, and the jihadist groups across theMali-Burkina Faso border.[2] Two deadly bus bombings and ambushes occurred in northern Burkina Faso in September 2022, with one inSilgadji and one inGaskinde killing a total of over seventy people, including dozens of civilians.
On the afternoon of October 13, a civilian convoy was travelling between Bandiagara and Goundaka, when they hit an IED near the village of Sibo.[3][1] Moussa Houseyni, the leader of theBandiagara Youth Association, in conjunction with local hospitals, claimed that the death toll was eleven killed and fifty-three people injured.[3] A local policeman, speaking toLibération, claimed all the dead were civilians.[4] Data from theArmed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) suggested the perpetrator wasJama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin.[5]
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