Mali: Armed attacks hit factories in Bafoulabe

Armed attackers struck factories in Mali’s western Bafoulabe region, heavily damaging several industrial sites.

Ibrahima Diawara, Vice President of the National Employers’ Council of Mali, confirmed via a US-based social media platform that his factory in Bafoulabe, located in the Kayes region, was targeted, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Diawara warned that the facility had suffered severe damage and faced the risk of complete destruction. Other nearby factories were also reportedly attacked.

The affected industrial sites are located within just a few kilometres of each other. Bafoulabe lies approximately 330 kilometres northwest of the capital, Bamako, close to the strategically important RN1 highway, a key artery connecting Kayes and Bamako and vital for trade and supply networks.

The region has seen escalating security threats since September 2025. Armed group JNIM (Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin), which has ties to Al-Qaeda, is suspected of carrying out dozens of attacks in the area.

Independent reports suggest that more than 130 fuel tankers have been destroyed on this route in recent months, contributing to fuel shortages, economic disruption, and persistent insecurity.

Malian officials have not yet issued a formal statement regarding the attacks. Authorities are reportedly carrying out damage assessments and taking steps to strengthen security measures in the region.

By Aghakazim Guliyev