In recent developments across West Africa, militant and counterterrorism activities have intensified. In Mali, the jihadist group Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks that resulted in the deaths of 21 Malian soldiers and the seizure of the Farabougou base on August 19, where they have maintained a presence for several days. The group also released footage showing four captured Malian soldiers and claimed multiple attacks targeting Malian forces, Russian private military contractors, Burkinabe army units, local militias, and Nigerien forces across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. In Nigeria, Operation Hadin Kai forces repelled an Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attack in Wulgo, Borno State, killing at least seven militants, including commanders Abu Nazir and Abu Fatima. Further coordinated airstrikes near the Cameroon border have killed at least 35 jihadist fighters, according to the Nigerian Air Force. These strikes targeted militants attempting to breach military positions near Kumshe and were carried out in four areas to thwart attacks on ground troops. The Nigerian military also reported rescuing 76 kidnap victims amid ongoing insurgency challenges. Meanwhile, the Nigerien army announced the killing of Boko Haram leader Ibrahim Mahamadou, also known as Bakoura or Abu Oumaima, during a precision airstrike on August 15. The operation involved three successive strikes by the Nigerien Air Force on Shelwa Island in the Diffa region near the Nigeria border. Bakoura, aged 40, was a feared Boko Haram commander operating in the Lake Chad basin. This targeted strike is part of ongoing efforts to counter Boko Haram's insurgency in the region. These developments underscore continued militant activity and military counteroperations in the Lake Chad basin and the broader Sahel region, involving multiple state and non-state actors.