| 2021 Boni attack | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofMali War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Mali France |  Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 10 dead, 8 injured None | ~20 dead | ||||||
On February 3, 2021,Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists fromJama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin attacked a Malian base in the remote town of Boni. French troops fromOperation Barkhane came to the Malians' aid, and successfully repulsed the attack. The attack came in direct response to the recent Franco-Malian counteroffensive ofOperation Eclipse.[1]
Around 6 am local time on February 3, the jihadists from JNIM attacked the military base at Boni aboard aCasspir armored vehicle.[2][3] Initially, the Malian soldiers abandoned the camp, taking up positions outside to prevent JNIM from fully taking over the camp, and meanwhile calling for reinforcements from Barkhane.[2][4] On social media, JNIM released statements claiming to have captured the camp.[3]
When French reinforcements arrived, a French airstrike destroyed the Casspir vehicle, causing many of the jihadists to flee.[2][3] After the retreat, Malian forces were able to recapture the Boni military base.[3]
Local officials stated that the bodies of ten Malian soldiers were flown to theMINUSMA base inSévaré, along with eight wounded soldiers.[2] French Colonel Frédéric Barbry announced that twenty jihadists were killed, a statement echoed by Malian officials.[2][4]
In March 2021, a soldier was killed in Boni by an IED. Minutes afterward, another Malian soldier shot and killed several civilians in the area in retribution.[5]