Although the attack was attributed to Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), the al-Qaeda affiliated coalition of armed groups that is Mali’s largest jihadist force, it did not substantially weaken the junta’s self-confidence and capacity to set the domestic political and diplomatic agenda.

The Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin claimed responsibility for attacks on a gendarmerie training center and parts of the Modibo Keita International Airport on Tu7.

An elaborate attack by an Al Qaeda affiliate in Mali's capital this week killed some 70 people, diplomatic and security sources said on Thursday, while the government offered no figures on casualties.

Nigeria extends its deepest condolences to the government and people of Mali, particularly to the families of those who lost their lives. The Federal Government has condemned the terrorist attack on the military airport in Bamako,