Their forces consisted of contingents from all jihadist groups present in Mali: Ansar Dine, MUJAO, AQIM and even some men of Boko Haram.

According to Jean-Paul Mari, reporter for Le Nouvel Observateur, the Islamist forces launched the assault on Diabaly with 400 men and 47 pick-ups.

On January 15, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian declared that the Islamist forces deployed in this area were among the "hardest, most fanatic, the best organized, the most determined and the best armed groups. "

Abu Zeid, the leader of al-Qaeda's Katiba Tarik Ibn Ziyad in the Islamic Maghreb, led the assault on the city.

Le Monde's reporter, Jean-Philippe Remy, also mentions "a certain commander Ousmane", a former Tuareg rebel who fights for Ansar Dine.

[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] After meeting at the beginning of January in Bambara Maoudé, the jihadists of Ansar Dine, MUJAO, AQIM and Boko Haram go on the offensive in southern Mali.

[18][9][19][20] The Malians are warned by the French of the imminence of the attack, and the commander of the garrison then divides his forces into three groups to hold the villages on the roads leading to Diabaly.

[24] It's unclear what exactly happened to the soldiers based in Diabaly, but a prominent jihadists leader, Oumar Ould Hamaha said that "there are many dead, and others fled on foot".

Residents said the jihadists began staying in groups of 20 or so trucks, parking discreetly under trees to avoid French aerial bombardment.

On 16 January, French fighter jets and helicopters continued striking targeted objectives while dozens of soldiers were deployed to the Diabaly area.

[7] On 18 January the Islamists reportedly fled dressed as civilians and abandoned dozens of heavy weapons and caches of guns and ammunition inside several residents homes.