Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an Islamist militant group, has intensified attacks across Burkina Faso and Mali in August 2025. In Burkina Faso, JNIM attacked a military and VDP (Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland) positions in locations including Moussokantou near the Côte d’Ivoire border, Reko, Nagare, Youba, Sassou, and Kassouka. These assaults resulted in the deaths of multiple soldiers and VDP members, with claims of four soldiers killed in Moussokantou and up to 20 soldiers and VDP killed in Youba. JNIM also seized weapons including machine guns, RPGs, 43 Kalashnikov rifles, 16 motorcycles, and destroyed military vehicles and a bulldozer. Additionally, a JNIM drone armed with explosives reportedly struck a World Food Programme helicopter near Solle. In Mali, JNIM has targeted military convoys and positions, including attacks involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against vehicles belonging to the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) and the Russian-linked Africa Corps. Notable incidents include an IED attack between Tilé and Kirki that destroyed a heavy vehicle, an attack between Danderesso and Sikasso using a "glided bomb," and further IED strikes between Bourim and Mostarat in the Gao region. JNIM also claimed attacks near Carrefour Djenne and between Bla and Segou, with at least two soldiers killed at a checkpoint in Carrefour Djenne and unconfirmed casualties near Timissa. The group has released multiple statements and videos documenting these attacks, highlighting their operational reach across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Meanwhile, military leadership from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger convened in Niamey to coordinate efforts within the Alliance of Sahel States, aiming to establish a joint military component to address the escalating militant violence in the region. Separately, Somalia’s military court executed two soldiers convicted of conspiring with Al-Shabaab, reflecting broader regional security challenges related to Islamist militant groups.