Tuareg jihadists advance on Timbuktu

An official representative of Tuareg jihadist groups has announced they are heading to Timbuktu. This follows recent lightning attacks by Tuareg armed groups, including the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), on government forces in Mali's major cities. The advance signals a potential new front in the ongoing conflict, threatening a key cultural and economic center in northern Mali. The situation remains fluid as the jihadists move toward the city.