In recent days, the militant group Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has intensified attacks across Burkina Faso and Mali. In Burkina Faso, JNIM claimed control of several Volontaires pour la Défense de la Patrie (VDP) positions, including locations near Ouahigouya, Tampe, and Sinomogou, with reports of at least one soldier killed near Soudkouri and five soldiers killed in an ambush near Titao. They also seized weapons and equipment such as mortars, RPGs, Kalashnikovs, and motorcycles. Additionally, JNIM attacked the town of Tanwalbougou and ambushed military patrols on the outskirts of Titao. Meanwhile, Burkina Faso's elite unit BIR-7, led by Commander Watao, conducted a major operation near Banwa, killing dozens of JNIM fighters and seizing substantial arms and supplies. The Islamic State in the Sahel (IS-SP) also claimed attacks in Burkina Faso's Oudalan province, killing 15 VDP fighters near the Essakane gold mine and launching a major attack on a convoy along the Dori-Sebba axis. In Mali, JNIM targeted multiple military bases and patrols, including coordinated assaults in Farabougou and Biriki, and claimed control of a military barracks and Dozo militia headquarters in Farabougou, as well as a base in the Ségou region. They also targeted vehicles with improvised explosive devices near Soumpi, Timbuktu, and west of Mourdiah. IS-SP reportedly attempted an attack on a base in Tessit but was repelled by Malian forces. Clashes were also reported near Kassela, close to Bamako. The UK government updated its travel advice for Mali, warning of increased terrorist attacks on major roads and transport routes, including the use of landmines and IEDs, especially near border areas and in northeastern Mali. In Niger, IS-SP militants ambushed pro-government militias in the Tillabéri region, with images showing casualties. These developments underscore escalating militant activity and ongoing conflict challenges in the Sahel region.