The Malian military has launched several air offensives after the al-Qaeda-linked militants blocked fuel imports into the capital, Bamako.
The airstrikes were launched in the Kayes region, according to multiple local media reports.
The militants group, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, reportedly announced a blockade last week.
The group also restricted movement in the towns of Kayes and Nioro near the Senegalese and Mauritanian borders, reports say.
Following the imposition of restrictions, the militants stopped fuel trucks and escalated attacks on businesses including cement factories, sugar plants, and gold mines operated by global firms like Barrick and B2Gold.
The Malian army confirmed airstrikes and hostage rescues in Diema and Nioro. But the pressure is mounting: transport companies are halting operations, and roads are blocked across key trade routes.
Analysts say JNIM is trying to encircle urban centers and destabilize Mali’s transitional government by strangling supply lines and stirring civilian unrest.
Source:Africa Publicity